NORMAN, Okla.- Texas A&M’s Courtney Dow shot an even-par 72, leading the women’s golf team in the first round of the NCAA Norman Regional.
Dow matched her career-best score in the NCAA postseason as she had three birdies on the par 72 / 6,367-yard Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club. Dow is tied for 24th, four strokes behind tournament leader Michaela Fletcher of Memphis.
The Aggies stormed out of the gates—and were even tied for the tournament lead late on the front nine—before finishing with a 5-over 293. A&M, despite being tied for 11th, remains in contention for a top-six finish and a trip to the NCAA Championship, sitting just six strokes behind the cut. Florida leads the tournament at 4-under par.
“Our players were all in it, all day,” said head coach Andrea Gaston. “I told the girls that we need to tighten it up a little bit. If we can eliminate the bigger mistakes like the double-bogeys, and shoot a few more close shots to make some more birdies—that’s your difference-maker right there.”
Amber Park is tied for 34th after a 1-over 73. Ava Schwienteck and Brooke Tyree each carded a 2-over 74 to tie for 45th. Schwienteck birdied two of the four par 3s on the course, helping the Aggies to a Regional-leading 4-under score on the short holes. Tyree was bogey-free in each of her last seven holes, and posted her only birdie of the day when she stuck her approach to two feet on the par-4 fourth.
Chloe Velasco shot a 3-over 75 to tie for 54th, shooting 1-under on the front nine, as the senior played her first NCAA postseason round.
Texas A&M tees off for the second of three rounds at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, with live scoring available on golfstat.com.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics