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IRVINE, Calif. - Only two golfers shot par or lower during the second round at the Big West Championship, and freshman psychology major Hannah Sun was one of those individuals by finishing with an even score of 71 on Monday. By doing so, she jumped 20 spots up the individual leaderboard and will return to Strawberry Farms Golf Club tied for 4th, alongside sophomore managerial economics major Christine Danielsson, with identical combined scores of 6-over (148), four shots behind the top spot.
Also enjoying a sizable climb was junior sociology major Samantha Hutchison, who is now in 14th place after advancing 10 slots thanks to her 3-over 74. Hutchison sits two spots behind freshman communication major Madison Wood, whose overall 8-over (150) is one stroke shy of a top 10 position.
Of the seven combined birdies recorded by the Aggies on Monday, Sun recorded two of them throughout her final three holes. Combined with her par on 18, she quickly turned a 2-over into an even score for the round. Hutchison led the team with three birdies, recording back-to-back results on holes 6 and 7, with the final one taking place on 17.
Hutchison was one of only four players to post a 4 on the par 5 7th on Monday.
As a team, UC Davis' second round score of 301 was the second-lowest total of the day, which allowed it to remain in second place and pull three strokes closer to Long Beach State. The Aggies were 17-over for the day, and are 28-over (596) for the tournament, trailing a 49er team that shot 21-over on Monday and leads the event at 21-over (589).
Long Beach State and UC Davis arrived to Irvine as the tournament's No. 1 and No. 2 seeds; both teams, in addition to UC Irvine, will start their final 18-hole round at 10 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Even though sophomore psychology major Rei Nakatani is 34th at 18-over (160), she can move within the top 15, or better, with another strong finish. In each of the previous two tournaments, Nakatani's lowest score took place in the final round. At the Meadow Club Collegiate, she lowered her score by nine shots between rounds; at the Anuenue Spring Break Classic, her third round score was seven strokes fewer than her second round result and ended the tournament with the only sub-70 score recorded that day.
UC Davis' 9-over score on par 3 holes is a tournament low total, as is its 3-over figure on Strawberry Farm's par 5s. Its 19 birdies are only three shy of Cal Poly's tournament-high total (22).
The winning team at the Big West Championship will earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I women's golf regionals which will take place at the following locations, from May 7-9: Stanford, Calif., Tallahassee, Fla., Austin, Tex., and Madison, Wisc. The 2018 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships is slated for May 17-23 at Karsten Creek Golf Course in Stillwater, Okla.
Big West Championship
Hosted by UC Irvine
Strawberry Farms Golf Club
Par 71/6,038 yards
Team Standings - Through 36 holes
1. Long Beach State 285-304 589/+21
2. UC Davis 295-301 596/+28
3. UC Irvine 300-299 599/+31
4. Cal Poly 300-301 601/+33
5. Hawai'i 308-299 614/+39
6. Cal State Fullerton 299-315 614/+46
7. UC Riverside 304-314 618/+50
8. CSUN 306-315 621/+53
Individual Standings
Leader plus UC Davis' results
1. Jennifer Yu, Long Beach State 70-74 144/+2
T4. Christine Danielsson 71-77 148/+6
T4. Hannah Sun 77-71 148/+6
T12. Madison Wood 71-79 150/+8
14. Samantha Hutchison 77-74 151/+9
34. Rei Nakatani 76-84 160/+18
ABOUT UC DAVIS WOMEN'S GOLF
Since the 2005-06 season, its first as an intercollegiate program at UC Davis, women's golf quickly earned a reputation as one of the most successful teams in the Big West Conference. In addition to its six NCAA Championship appearances as a team or individual, the Aggies advanced to the NCAA Regionals every year since 2008.
In its brief history at the Division I level, the program won six Big West championships and boasts an honor roll that ranks among the best in the nation with four All-American scholars, three All-Americans, six Big West Players of the Year and five Big West Freshmen of the Year.
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley.
The No. 6-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
