Freshman Anastasia Hekkonen Leads Kentucky into Charles Schwab Final Round
FORT WORTH, Texas – The University of Kentucky women’s golf team wrapped up 36 holes at the spring iteration of the Charles Schwab Women’s Collegiate Invitational at Colonial Country Club (par 70, 6,092 yards) in Fort Worth, Texas, on Monday. The Wildcats went 6-over in the first round, followed by 15-over in the second round to land in a share of 12th place ahead of the final round Tuesday.
Anastasia Hekkonen paced the team after the first round on a career-best, 2-under-par 68. The rookie rolled in four birdies through her first 18 holes, including two on her first nine and two on her second nine. She experienced a seven-stroke swing in the second round, turning in a 5-over-par 75. While she still found two birdies in her second 18 holes, she suffered seven bogeys.
Hekkonen, who led the team for the first time this season in her last appearance at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, is just 3-over and in 27th place at the Charles Schwab.
Marta López Echevarría is just two strokes behind her at 5-over through 36 holes and tied for 31st place.
The tested senior went 4-over-par 74 in the first round, followed by 1-over-par 71 in the second round Monday. She recorded three birdies in her first nine holes of the second round Monday, giving herself cushion for a trio of bogeys she would experience in her second nine holes.
Another player who shed several strokes off their first round to their second round was C.A. Carter. The freshman from Lexington, Kentucky, is playing in her first event this spring. She got the day started shooting 7-over with only pars and bogeys, but she bounced back with a 3-over in the second round thanks to three less bogeys and a birdie on the par-5 No. 11.
Carter is 10-over through the first two rounds in 58th place.
Fellow freshman Karlie Campbell is 8-over for the tournament thus far, sitting in a share of 50th place. Campbell, who has had a strong showing this spring, took a 2-over-par 72 with her into the second round. There, despite getting off to a 1-under start through her first five holes of the second round, she came up with six bogeys on her second nine to turn in a 6-over-par 76.
Cathryn Brown trailed the lineup this afternoon, forming a 12-over to sit in a share of 66th place. While she assembled a convincing 2-over in the first round, she experienced a tough stretch on her second trip around the golf course that resulted in a 10-over in the second round.
The Wildcats as a team are tied for 12th place with No. 15 Vanderbilt in a strong field of 15 teams. The Cats are four strokes ahead of No. 29 Baylor (+25) and one stroke in front of No. 5 Southern California (+22).
Two teams are tied at the top, including No. 3 Oregon and No. 9 Wake Forest at even par at the Charles Schwab.
Kentucky is back on the golf course for the final round Tuesday, paired with Mississippi State and Oklahoma State. The trio will tee off hole No. 10 beginning 9:42 a.m. ET
Scorecard
Anastasia Hekkonen 68, 75 … 143 (+3)
Marta López Echevarría 74, 71 … 145 (+5)
Karlie Campbell 72, 76 … 148 (+8)
C.A. Carter 77, 73 … 150 (+10)
Cathryn Brown 72, 80 … 152 (+12)
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