The University of Colorado women’s golf team, which has missed advancing to the NCAA Championship Finals by one stroke each of the last two years, posted a strong start to this year’s NCAA Division I Regionals, which began on Monday.
The Buffs share second place out of 18 teams in the San Francisco Regional, and CU senior Brittany Fan (pictured) is tied for the individual lead following a bogey-free 6-under-par 66.
As a team, CU carded a 4-under-par 284 total, which left the Buffs four behind team leader UCLA and tied with Kent State. After 54 holes, the top six team finishers — and three individuals not on those teams — from each regional will advance to the NCAA Finals, set for May 18-23 in Stillwater, Okla.
Fan made an eagle and added four birdies on Monday at TPC Harding Park, putting her in a share of the top spot individually with Stanford’s Andrew Lee and UCLA’s Mariel Galdiano. CU sophomore Kirsty Hodgkins is tied for 10th place at 71.
Meanwhile, in the Tallahasse, Fla., Regional, the University of Denver holds 14th place out of 18 teams after round 1. The Pioneers shot a 9-over-par 297 and they trail leader Washington by 26 strokes.
Individually, Coloradan Jennifer Kupcho, a junior from Wake Forest who won an NCAA Regional title last year, opened with a 2-under-par 70. After a day that included four birdies and one double bogey, she trails individual leader Wenyung Keh of Washington by seven strokes.
The Regionals will continue through Wednesday.
Here are the scores for all the Colorado-based teams and local players competing this week:
Women’s NCAA Division I Regionals
May 7-9, 2018
At San Francisco
T2. (out of 18 teams) Colorado 284
T1. Brittany Fan 66
10. Kirsty Hodgkins 71
33. Robyn Choi 73
42. Gillian Vance 74
61. Alisha Lau 76
At Tallahassee, Fla.
14. (out of 18 teams) Denver 297
33. Lauren Whyte 73
42. Sophie Newlove 74
42. Mary Weinstein 74
61. Jessica Dreesbeimdieke 76
61. Camille Enright 76
Also
10. Coloradan Jennifer Kupcho, Wake Forest 70
At Austin, Texas
32. Katrina Prendergast, CSU 73
55. Coloradan Anna Kennedy, BYU 76
77. Coloradan Hannh Wood, Oklahoma 78
91. Ellen Secor, CSU 82