The Seattle University women’s golf team kicked off its first-ever Western Athletic Conference Championship Monday, playing the first round of the tournament held at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz.
Two Redhawks carded a 2-over-par 74 during Monday’s first round. Nicole Gaddie (Salt Lake City, Utah) made the turn at 3-over 39, but parred every hole on the back nine except the par-518th, where she made birdie to end the day at 2-over. With the birdie on the last hole, Gaddie fired her lowest round of the year. Clare Sorensen (Roseville, Calif.) also shot 2-over-par Monday, ending her round with a double bogey on No. 18 to reach that score. Gaddie and Sorensen are tied for 5th with each other.
Two strokes back, Lori Pearson (Seattle, Wash.) birdied two of her last four holes to get to 4-over-par 76 on the day. She made the turn at 4-over 40, then bogeyed Nos. 10 and 14 to reach six strokes off the pace. She birdied Nos. 15 and 16, however, and then parred the final two holes to end the day with 76 shots, tied for 12th with six other players.
In fourth place on the team, Shannon Quinn (Shoreline, Wash.) ended the day counting 82 shots, 10 strokes above par. She played the first 14 holes in +5, but took five additional strokes in her last four holes to finish at 10-over-par for the round. She is tied for 31st with two others.
Rounding out the Redhawks lineup, Amanda Beyke (Federal Way, Wash.) carded an 11-over-par 83 in her first conference tournament round. She made two birdies on the round, but also tallied six bogeys, one triple bogey, and one quadruple bogey. She is in 34th place after one round.
As a team, the Redhawks are in fourth place after counting 306 strokes on the day, 18 strokes above par. Denver is leading the tournament with a score of 295 (+7), while the Pioneers’ Tonje Daffinrud, ranked No. 41 in the country by GolfStat, has the individual lead with 68 strokes on the day, four strokes under par.
The Redhawks will begin the second round of the WAC Championship Tuesday, April 23 when Beyke tees off at 8:10 a.m., again at Longbow Golf Course.