Wildcats Remain Focused Following First Day in Stanford
STANFORD, Calif. – Kentucky Women’s Golf wrapped up its first day of the NCAA Stanford Regional on Monday at the Stanford Golf Course (par 71, 6,291 yards).
The Wildcats sit in a three-way tie for seventh with Princeton and Texas Tech. UK was paired with Texas Tech for the first round of the tournament, as well as with Iowa State.
“We didn’t quite finish the round the way we wanted to today and definitely left some shots out on the course,” said Head Coach Golda Borst. “There’s a lot of golf left, and anything can happen.”
Fifth-year senior Rikke Svejgård Nielsen topped the individual leaderboard for the Cats tying for 15th shooting 72 (+1). Svejgård Nielsen is currently the only Wildcat to currently sit in the top-20.
Junior María Villanueva Aperribay found herself just outside of the top-20 tied for 22nd following a two-over-par performance.
Sophomore Laney Frye and junior Marissa Wenzler finished their first round of the regional tied for 38th. The pair finished their 18 holes with scores of 75 (+4).
Freshman Marta López Echevarría made her NCAA debut in the No. 1 spot as a substitution for the Wildcats. She completed her round in the top-50 shooting five-over-par for a 76.
“We are very capable of playing this course well,” stated Borst. “We will focus on the opportunity ahead of us over the next two days and get to work.”
The Wildcats will start the second round of the tournament tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. ET with Jensen Castle teeing off from the 10th hole. UK will be paired with Princeton and Texas Tech. For the full list of pairings, click here.
Live stats are available to follow via Golfstat by clicking here.
In addition to the Stanford Regional, teams began competing today in Albuquerque, N.M., Ann Arbor, Mich., Franklin, Tenn., Stillwater, Okla., and Tallahassee, Fla.
Last year the Cats found success at the Columbus Regional advancing to the program’s first NCAA Finals since 1992.
Kentucky looks to repeat that success next month in California with hopes of another championship run.
ABOUT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Six regional tournaments will be conducted May 9-11 to determine the championship finals field. Regional tournaments are considered preliminary rounds of NCAA championships
competition and all national championship policies apply.
A total of 72 teams and 36 individual participants have been selected for regional competition. Of the 396 players participating in the regionals, 132 will advance to the championship finals, with the top four teams and top two individuals (not on an advancing team) advancing from each regional.
The national championships will be May 20-25 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. hosted by Arizona State and The Thunderbirds. The final three days of the championships will be televised live by the GOLF Channel.
BIRDIES FOR TORNADO RELIEF FUNDRAISER
Collectively, UK Women’s Golf has tallied 220 birdies since announcing the start of a new fundraiser to aid fellow Kentuckians in the Western region of the state who were devastated by an EF4 tornado in early December of last year. This tally includes the birdies shot throughout the first round of the NCAA Stanford Regional.
In partnership with the Kentucky Red Cross, the program is asking for monetary donations or pledges. For each birdie made, beginning with the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate and throughout the rest of the 2022 spring season, money will be given to those impacted by the catastrophic disaster.
Those wishing to donate can do so by clicking here.
For the latest on Kentucky Women’s Golf, follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com.
