Kentucky Women’s Golf Concludes Second Round at NCAA Championship
CARLSBAD, Calif. – The University of Kentucky women’s golf team – who met a windier and firmer golf course than they did the day before – was just 2-over making the turn in the second round, before assembling an 11-over in the late afternoon Saturday at the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship.
The Wildcats, playing at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa North Course in Carlsbad, California, moved to a 21-over team total for 28th place ahead of the third round Sunday.
The lineup, which includes two juniors and three sophomores all competing in their first-ever NCAA Championship, is just 11 shots outside of the top 15, which is the cut line after the third round Sunday. Less than two weeks ago, this same lineup was 10 shots outside of the cut line going into the final round at regionals and finished with a three-shot cushion to advance to the final site.
Raleygh Simpson and C.A. Carter, a pair of sophomores, paced the team after starting on the back nine Saturday afternoon. They both improved their second-round scores from their first-round scores, each turning in even-par 72s.
In fact, they were both 2-under through their first 12 holes.
Simpson began her round with an unfortunate double on the par-5 No. 10 after a difficult putting sequence, but she recovered with four birdies and seven pars over her next 11 holes to sit 2-under. She sandwiched in her fifth birdie on the par-4 No. 5, in between a couple of bogeys on Nos. 4 and 6 and again on No. 9.
With her even-par, she has a 3-over tournament total for a share of 64th place.
Carter had as good of a start as anyone, earning seven straight pars out of the gate, followed by back-to-back birdies on hole Nos. 17 and 18, before carding four more birdies as she made the turn to the front nine. However, a difficult chip shot on the par-4 No. 5 gave her her first blemish, followed by a second on the par-4 No. 7.
The Lexington, Kentucky, native remains at 5-over for the event and improved to T94.
Cathryn Brown paired a 3-over in the second round to go with her 1-under in the first round. She waited for a birdie putt all day until she at last sunk a 10+ footer on her final hole of the day – the par-4 No. 9 – in front of friends and family. Altogether, the junior from Eddyville, Kentucky, is still leading the team with a 2-over tournament total in a tie for 46th place.
Sophomore Karlie Campbell came up with an 8-over on the day, earning just one birdie on the par-3 No. 16 after a pretty tee shot. She is 11-over for the event and tied for 143rd place. Junior Samantha Paradise, who chipped-in for birdie just before the turn on the par-5 No. 18, went 9-over in the second round to form a 17-over tournament total for 152nd place.
The Wildcats will compete in the third round beginning Sunday at 4:40 p.m. ET / 1:40 p.m. PT, paired with Texas Tech and Oregon State.
The top 15 teams – and the top nine individuals not on an advancing team – will improve to the fourth round of stroke play Monday. Following those 72 holes, a stroke-play team champion and individual champion will be crowned. The top eight teams will then advance to match play quarterfinals Tuesday morning, followed by the top four teams improving to match play semifinals Tuesday afternoon. The championship match will be on Wednesday.
Scorecard
T46 Cathryn Brown 71, 75 … 146 (+2)
T64 Raleygh Simpson 75, 72 … 147 (+3)
T94 C.A. Carter 77, 72 … 149 (+5)
T143 Karlie Campbell 75, 80 … 155 (+11)
152 Samantha Paradise 80, 81 …161 (+17)
28 Kentucky 298, 299 … 597 (+21)
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