HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Southwestern Oklahoma State placed all five of its golfers inside the top 16 as the Lady Bulldogs finished Monday’s 36 holes of play at the Great American Conference Women’s Golf Championships from Hot Springs Country Club with a four-stroke lead. The Lady Bulldogs’ Chloe Thackeray leads the individual competition by two strokes.
Thackeray, an All-GAC Second Team selection, opened the GAC Championships with a 2-over par 74 but improved by two strokes in round two to grab the lead. Her teammate, Jenna Eidem, held the lead after the opening 18 holes after she carded the lone subpar round of the day, a 1-under 71. A second-round 78 placed her in a two-way tie for third place.
Gloria Choi, a First-Team All-GAC pick, turned in rounds of 77 and 73 to tie for fifth place while Elin Wahlin, a Second-Team honoree shot 76 and 75 and place seventh. Veronika de Bochdanovits, who joined Choi on the All-GAC First Team closed out Monday as part of a four-way tie for 13th.
2019 GAC Women's Golf Championship Day One Results || Photo Gallery
Arkansas Tech, the top-ranked team in the NCAA Division ii Central Region rankings and the ninth-ranked school in the country, ended Monday in second position. All five Golden Suns finished amongst the top 11 golfers, led by GAC Freshman of the Year Jacqueline Klemm. She shot a 1-over 73 in her opening round and followed with a 3-over 75 to sit in second place, two strokes in back of Thackeray.
Fellow freshman Sydney Staton joined Eidem in a tie for third place. She made a tournament-leading six birdies on Monday, highlighted by four in a six-hole stretch during her first round. GAC Player of the Year Peerada Piddon carded consecutive 75s to close in a tie for fifth. Allie Weiner posted a 75 in the second round after opening with a 77 to move up four positions into a tie for eighth. Pia Nunbhakdi, All-GAC First Team honoree, climbed eight slots to a tie for 10
th by shooting a 74 in the second round after she opened with a 79.
Henderson State took third in the team standings. Hanna Brauburger, a Second-Team All-GAC pick, paced the Reddies. After opening with an 80, she answered with a 1-over 73 to ascend into a tie for 10
th. Luisa Gartmann, a fellow Second-Team All-GAC selection, placed 12
th followed closely by Taylor Reed, who shared 13
th.
Southern Nazarene, who entered the GAC Championships ranked 13
th in the Central Region, one spot outside the top 12 that qualify for NCAA Regionals, closed Monday in fourth place. Kaylee Petersen emerged as the lone golfer outside of competitors from SWOSU and Arkansas Tech to finish the 36 holes inside the top 10 as rounds of 1-over 73 and 79 left her in a tie for eighth. Bailey Blake registered rounds of 76 and 79 to join three others in a tie for 13
th.
Harding improved by six shots from its opening round to pass Oklahoma Baptist for fifth place by one shot. The Lady Bisons’ Brooklyn Terry carded a second-round 75 to move up 10 positions and into the top 20. Oklahoma Baptist’s Michelle Carr shot rounds of 78 and 77 to tie for 13
th.
Southern Arkansas, Northwestern Oklahoma State and Arkansas-Monticello rounded out the school standings. SAU’s Mackenzy Turner and the Rangers’ Brittani Casement finished Monday inside the top 20.
The final round begins at 8 a.m. on Tuesday with competitors teeing off both No. 1 and No. 10.