VERONA, Wisc. — After the field was no "match" for Mother Nature on Sunday, the UC Davis women's golf team put together a pair of solid rounds on Monday to finish third after 36 holes of stroke play and earn a spot in the championship bracket at the East-West Match Play Challenge hosted by Wisconsin at the University Ridge Golf Course.
The Aggies are in the championship bracket for the second consecutive season — and third time in the six-year history of the event — and will face fourth-seeded Texas Tech in the semifinals on Tuesday, with the first pairing to go off beginning at 6:30 a.m. PT.
Top-seeded Wisconsin will meet second-seeded Iowa State in the second championship semifinal beginning at 7:33 a.m. The Cyclones and Aggies were scheduled to face-off in last year's championship match before Iowa State withdrew due to the death of a teammate.
Live scoring will be available at the following link:
http://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=match&tid=18932.
Forced to play 36 holes on Monday after inclement weather washed out Sunday's opening rounds, UC Davis was in a three-way tie for second after the first round at 3-over par, just three shots back of the Cyclones. The Aggies were steady through round two, matching their first round total, while the host Badgers were three shots better, overtaking Iowa State by five strokes in the second round to claim the win.
Following up her second career top-10 finish at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational in New Mexico two weeks ago, senior
Rei Nakatani finished in a tie for third on Monday, firing a 3-under 141 along with Indiana's Mary Parsons to lead the way for the Aggies.
Opening on the sixth hole, Nakatani finished the front at 1-under and posted birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 to overcome a pair of bogeys and stand at 1-under through 13. An eagle — one of four by the field on the day — on the par-5 second hole put the senior at 3-under before finishing with a 2-under 70 after 18 holes.
The native of Tokyo then finished her day by carding a trio of birdies in round two to card a 1-under 71.
Seniors
Christine Danielsson and
Yoonhee Kim also posted top-20 finishes on the day, with the former shooting a 1-over 145 to end in a tie for 10th, and the latter finishing in a tie for 18th with a 4-over 148, including shooting even-par 72 in the second round.
Junior
Madison Wood drained three birdies in the opening round en route to an even-par 72 after the first 18 holes and finished in a tie for 22nd with a 5-over 149 for the two rounds. Junior
Hannah Sun, competing as an individual, finished in a tie for 32nd with a 9-over-par 153, while freshman
Jackie Lucena ended the day in 41st with a 13-over-par 157, improving by five shots in the second round.
EAST-WEST MATCH PLAY CHALLENGE
University Ridge Golf Course (Verona, Wisc.)
Par 72 • 6,324 Yards
TEAM SCORES (Stroke play - 36 holes)
1. Wisconsin, 291-288—579 (+3)
2. Iowa State, 288-293—581 (+5)
3. UC DAVIS, 291-291—582 (+6)
t4. Texas Tech, 291-293—584 (+8)
t4. Indiana, 297-287—584 (+8)
6. Iowa, 302-293—595 (+19)
7. Grand Canyon, 309-291—600 (+24)
8. Kansas State, 312-303—615 (+39)
INDIVIDUAL SCORES (Stroke play - 36 holes)
(Leaders plus UC Davis scores)
1. Tess Hackworthy, Wisconsin, 70-69—139 (-5)
t3.
Rei Nakatani, UC Davis, 70-71—141 (-3)
t10.
Christine Danielsson, UC Davis, 73-72—145 (+1)
t18.
Yoonhee Kim, UC Davis, 76-72—148 (+4)
t22.
Madison Wood, UC Davis, 72-77—149 (+5)
t32.
Hannah Sun, UC Davis, 76-77–153 (+9)**
41.
Jackie Lucena, UC Davis, 81-76—157 (+14)
** Competing as an individual
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. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, and among the top 15 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis 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.
AGGIE EVO
Launched in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
MARYA WELCH INITIATIVE
Named after the former physical education instructor, coach and Dean of Women who founded women's sports on the campus 25 years before the passage of Title IX, the Marya Welch Initiative for Women's Athletics provides comprehensive support for UC Davis' 16 women's athletics programs. Through the support of the Marya Welch Initiative and its group members, student-athletes are provided the best possible opportunity to succeed inside the classroom, and in competition, through special project gifts and by increasing visibility and participation at women's events throughout the year. All gifts to the Marya Welch Initiative are matched 1:1, doubling the impact on our women's programs. Visit https://give.ucdavis.edu/ATHG/324041 for more information.
