NEWTON, Kan. – The wind was whipping across Kansas on Easter Sunday and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits managed it the best, but not by much as the nine-team field at The Summit League Women’s Golf Championship is separated by just 13 strokes following the opening round.
SDSU junior Teresa Toscano leads the 45-player field after posting a 74 (+2), which included a front-nine 33 (-3). Birdies were hard to find as winds gusted up to 40 miles per hour at the Sand Creek Golf Station, but the two-time, All-Summit League first team performer made four in her round to pace the field in that category and help the Jacks shoot a 321 (+33).
Toscano holds a slim one-stroke lead in the race for medalist honors. Lani Potter sits in a tie for 12th after shooting an 81 (9-over).
Mia Seeman and Cassidy Laidlaw are each tied at 22nd at 11-over after each shot an 83.
Sydney Bormann is tied for 32nd after shooting an 85 to sit at 13-over.
North Dakota State’s Taylor McCorkle sits in second and carded a 75 (+3). She was the only player in the field to shoot even par or better on the back side, registering a 36 (E) on that side, which included birdies on both of the par three’s.
Top-seeded Denver is only a shot behind the Jackrabbits after posting a 322 (+34). Senior Sophie Newlove and junior Mary Weinstein led the way for the Pioneers as both players shot a 78 (+6) in their opening rounds. Those two are tied with North Dakota’s Jenna Janu in fourth place.
Purdue Fort Wayne (323: +34) and South Dakota (323; +34) are tied for third and only two strokes behind the leader. The Mastodons’ got a team-best 77 (+5) from Abbie Carlsen, who is in third place alone. All four scorers from the Coyotes’ lineup are tied for 12th or better. Lexi Petersen led that charge with an 80 (+8) and is tied for ninth.
Oral Roberts rounds out the top five on the team leaderboard and trails SDSU by only four strokes after shooting a 325 (+37). Omaha and reigning champion NDSU are tied for sixth following respective scores of 328 (+40). Janu’s 78 has the Fighting Hawks in eighth and eight strokes off the pace, following a 329 (+41).
Western Illinois rounded out the field with a 334 (+46).
The second round of 2019 #SummitWGF Championship teed off at 8 a.m. today.
