PORTLAND, Ore. – The San Diego State women's golf team sits in fourth place after the first two rounds of the Molly Murphy Crowley Collegiate Invitational, posting a collective 21-over-par 597 Monday at Waverley Country Club.
The Aztecs trimmed five strokes off their morning total, improving from 301 to 296 to finish the day 18 shots behind front-runner Stanford (+3). Meanwhile Oregon (+10) and Georgia (+18) occupy the second and third spots, respectively, heading into Tuesday's final round on the par-72, 6,141-yard course layout.
SDSU was paced by Gioia Carpinelli (Boppelsen, Switzerland) and Sara Kjellker (Hollviken, Sweden), who find themselves tied for the eighth position after each fired a 4-over 148.
Starting on the 10th tee, Carpinelli's day was highlighted by a first-round ace on the par-3, 157-yard No. 6, where she utilized an 8-iron to land the ball five yards short of the pin before it fed left to right at perfect speed into the cup. The Aztec junior also registered five birdies, including three on the back nine, but settled for a 74 after suffering a rash of three double bogeys and two bogeys on the front.
Carpinelli came back with a 74 in the afternoon, offsetting a trio of bogeys and a double bogey with three more birdies, including an impressive conversion on the par-3, 146-yard No. 11, which ranked as the second-toughest hole of the day.
Kjellker, meanwhile, rebounded from an opening-round 77 with a 71 to complete SDSU's lowest card on Monday. The Aztec junior countered three bogeys with four birdies, including back-to-back makes to open her afternoon round on the par-3 ninth and the par-4 10th.
With their results, Carpinelli and Kjellker remain eight strokes behind Stanford's Andrea Lee (-4), while fellow Cardinal teammate Angelina Ye (-2) landed in the second spot, followed by the Georgia duo of Caroline Craig (E) and Caterina Don (+1).
Making her first varsity start for the Scarlet and Black, Ella Adams (Adelaide, Australia) finished the day in a tie for 21st after posting an 8-over 152. Despite an eagle on the par-5, 451-yard No. 5, the Aztec junior stumbled to an opening-round 79, thanks to two double bogeys and a pair of bogeys on her final six holes. However, the Kansas State transfer made amends with a 73 in the afternoon, countering four bogeys with three birdies, including a successful drain on the par-4, 354-yard 15th, which ranked as the fifth-most difficult green of the day.
Elsewhere, Fernanda Escauriza (Asunción, Paraguay) sits one shot behind Adams in a tie for 26th at 9-over 153 on rounds of 75-78. The SDSU senior was at 1-over in the first round after sinking a birdie on the par-4, 362-yard No. 7, but two bogeys on her final four holes prevented a loftier perch. Escauriza experienced a dearth of birdies in the afternoon, but even 14 pars weren't enough to ease the sting of three bogeys and a triple bogey.
The Aztec starting five also included freshman Bernice Olivarez Ilas (Ayala Alabang, Philippines), who completed the first two rounds in a tie for 38th at 12-over 156. The SDSU rookie opened with a 75, totaling 12 pars and a trio of birdies, including a make at the par-5 fifth to get to 1-under for the morning. However, a bogey on the next green followed by a triple bogey at the par-5 eighth cast a pall on her round.
Starting on the 11th tee, Olivarez Ilas began the afternoon strong with six pars on her first eight holes, as well as and a birdie on the par-5 13th, but could not sustain the momentum, suffering four bogeys and two double bogeys en route to an 81.
The Aztec delegation also featured a pair of individual competitors in sophomore April Ranches (San Diego, Calif.), who shot a pair of 76s to finish the day in a tie for 21st at 8-over, while senior Daniela Anastasi (La Jolla, Calif.) landed in a tie for 57th at 19-over 163 on rounds of 78-85.
Co-hosted by Oregon State and California, the Molly Murphy Crowley Collegiate concludes on Tuesday, with San Diego State teeing off alongside Washington and Colorado for the final round beginning at 8 a.m. PT.
Molly Murphy Crowley Collegiate
Day One Results
Portland, Ore.
Waverley C.C.
Par 72, 6,141 yards
Team Standings (Top 5 of 11 schools)
1. Stanford...291-288—579 (+3)
2. Oregon...298-288—586 (+10)
3. Georgia...297-297—594 (+18)
4. San Diego State...301-296—597 (+21)
5. Washington...305-297—602 (+26)
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 63 players + SDSU)
1. Andrea Lee, Stanford...71-69—140 (-4)
2. Angelina Ye, Stanford...69-73—142 (-2)
3. Caroline Craig, Georgia...75-69—144 (E)
4. Caterina Don, Georgia...68-75—145 (+1)
5. Briana Chacon, Oregon...73-73—146 (+2)
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T8. Sara Kjellker, SDSU...77-71—148 (+4)
T8. Gioia Carpinelli, SDSU...74-74—148 (+4)
T21. Ella Adams, SDSU...79-73—152 (+8)
T21. April Ranches, SDSU^...76-76—152 (+8)
T26. Fernanda Escauriza, SDSU...75-78—153 (+9)
T38. Bernice Olivarez Ilas, SDSU...75-81—156 (+12)
T57. Daniela Anastasi, SDSU^...78-85—163 (+19)
^ - competing as an individual
Women's Golf in Fourth after Day One in Oregon
