SMU women’s golf opened the NCAA Waco Regional at 3 under, leading Texas A&M and Oregon by three shots after a sharp first round.
SMU women’s golf couldn’t have asked for a much better start at the NCAA Waco Regional.
The Mustangs opened play Monday at Ridgewood Country Club with the only under-par team round in the field, firing a 3-under score to take a three-shot lead after 18 holes.
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SMU entered the regional as the No. 4 seed and needs to finish inside the top five after three rounds to advance to the NCAA Championship.
So far, so good.
SMU sits ahead of a loaded leaderboard that includes Texas A&M and Oregon, who are tied for second at even par. Both are top-10 teams nationally.
The Mustangs also finished the first round in front of seven ranked teams, including Tennessee, LSU, Baylor, TCU and others.
Head coach Lauren Mason praised her team’s poise after storms and heavy overnight rain changed the course conditions.
“Proud of the way our team adjusted to the changing wind and overall course conditions,” Mason said, while also noting there’s still plenty to clean up before the regional is finished.
Individually, Celine Chen led the Mustangs with a strong opening 67, putting her at 3 under and tied for fourth, just one shot off the individual lead.
Chen rolled in five birdies and played the front nine in 32.
Grace Jin was right behind her with a bogey-free 68, good for sixth place at 2 under. It was Jin’s fifth straight round of par or better.
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SMU also got steady rounds from Kirra St-Laurent and Emily Odwin, who each shot 71 and are tied for 12th. Mackenzie Lee added a 72, placing her tied for 21st.
The Mustangs return Tuesday looking to protect their lead and move one step closer to a third NCAA Championship appearance in four years.
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