Women’s Golf Leads by 11 Strokes at MW Championship

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- The San Diego State women's golf team leads by 11 strokes after two rounds of the 2021 Mountain West Championship Tuesday on the par-72, 6,270-yard Dinah Shore Tournament Course at the Mission Hills Country Club.
 
The Aztecs, who are No. 47 in the latest Golfstat rankings, opened up a 13-shot lead after a first-round 4-under-par-284 and followed with a 10-over 298 and is at 6-over 582 after two rounds. The 4-under 284 was the lowest team score in opening round history and the best in any round since New Mexico carded a 10-under 278 in the third round of the 2015 tournament.
 
SDSU, which won the last MW Championship in 2019, owns an 11-shot advantage over both No. 46 New Mexico (+17) and Fresno State (+17). San José State and Nevada are a distant fourth at +26, while UNLV (+28), Boise State (+40), Colorado State (+41) and Wyoming (+48) round out the competition.
 
Individually, San Diego State's Sara Kjellker leads all 45 competitors at 2-under 142 following rounds of 3-under 69 and 1-over 73. Kjellker (-2) and Fresno State's Harriet Lynch (-1) are the only two golfers under par, while Nevada's Victoria Gailey and UNLV's Veronica Joels are tied for third at even-par 144. Aztecs Andrea Gomez and April Ranches are among four golfers tied for fifth at 1-over 145.
 
Kjellker, a three-time all-MW selection, has only two bogeys through two rounds, while posting four birdies and a tournament-best 30 pars. In the opening round, Kjellker shot a bogey-free 69, recording birdies on the par-5, 482-yard second hole, the par-3, 155-yard eighth and the par-5, 494-yard 11th. Starting on the 10th hole once again in the second round, Kjellker continued her bogey-free start with another birdie on No. 11 and eight pars on the front nine for a 1-under 35 on her front. A bogey on the par-4, 365-yard first, however, stopped her streak of 27 straight holes without a bogey to start the tournament. She also bogeyed the par-4, 402-yard third before settling down with six consecutive pars for her 73.

Gomez and Ranches, meanwhile, are also in the individual hunt through 36 holes at 1-over 145. Both competing in their first MW Championship, Gomez followed her 1-over 73 opening round with an even-par 72 in the second. Ranches shot a 1-under 71 and then a 2-over 74.
 
Starting on the 10th hole in the opening round, Gomez got to 3-over after consecutive bogeys on No. 1 and No. 2. Gomez, however, rallied with birdies on the par-4, 356-yard fourth and the par-4, 363-yard seventh to finish at 1-over 73. In the second round, Gomez started with nine straight pars before birdieing No. 1. She went 2-over the next four holes with three bogeys and a birdie on No. 4 but rallied with a par-par-birdie finish on her final three holes for the even-par 72.
 
Ranches shot a solid 1-under 71 in the opening round, overcoming a bogey on the par-4, 375-yard 12th with back-to-back birdies on the par-3, 145-yard 17th and par-5, 485-yard 18th, and 13 pars overall. Ranches slipped a little bit in the second round with two birdies - No. 2 and No. 17 - four bogeys and 12 pars en route to a 2-over 74.
 
Still in the mix for SDSU is Bernice Olivarez Ilas, who is tied for 13th at 6-over 150. Ilas got out to a good start with a 1-under 71 in the opening round but carded a 7-over 79 in the second. In the opening round, Ilas offset a pair of bogeys with birdies on No. 11, No. 17 and the par-5, 482-yard second for a 71. In the second round, she birdied No. 2 once again, but had eight bogeys for the 79.
 
Anna Lina Otten also is competing for San Diego State and shot matching 10-over 82s, and is 42nd at 20-over 164.
 
The final round of the 2021 Mountain West Championship gets underway at 7 a.m. PT with the Aztecs playing from the first hole with New Mexico and Fresno State at 8:30 a.m. PT.
 
Mountain West Championship
Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Day One Results
Dinah Shore Tournament Course at the Mission Hills Country Club
Par 72, 6,270 yards
 
Team Standings (Top 5 of 9 teams)
1. No. 47 San Diego State…284-298—582 (+6)
T2. No. 46 New Mexico…300-203—593 (+17)
T2. Fresno State…297-276—593 (+17)
T4. Nevada…301-301—602 (+26)
T4. San José State…300-302—602 (+26)
 
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 45 players + SDSU)
1. Sara Kjellker (San Diego State)…69-73—142 (-2)
2. Harriet Lynch (Fresno State)…70-73—143 (-1)
T3. Victoria Gailey (Nevada)…73-71—144 (E)
T3. Veronica Joels (UNLV)…69-75—144 (E)
T5. Andrea Gomez (San Diego State)…73-72—145 (+1)
T5. April Ranches (San Diego State)…71-74—145 (+1)
T5. Lauren Lehigh (New Mexico)…73-72—145 (+1)
T5. Myah McDonald (New Mexico)…73-72—145 (+1)
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T13. Bernice Olivarez Ilas (San Diego State)…71-79—150 (+6)
42. Anna Lina Otten (San Diego State)…82-82—164 (+20)