USC
2011 NCAA Championships
No. 1 USC Starts Slowly At NCAA Championships
May 18, 2011 | Women's Golf
May 18, 2011
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USC's pursuit of its third NCAA team title got off to a slow start as the No. 1 Trojans finished tied for 12th after the first round of the 2011 NCAA Women's Golf Championships at Texas A&M's Traditions Club in Bryan, Texas on Wednesday (May 18).
In the first of four rounds, USC combined for a 14-over 302, 13 shots back of first-place UCLA (289). Virginia (291) is second while defending champion Purdue is third (292).
The Trojans, playing without top junior Lisa McCloskey (ranked No. 6 in the country), who is out with a rib injury, are riding a streak of four straight top four finishes at the NCAAs and have nine top 7 results since 1998. They also have a streak of 12 straight top 3 finishes on the line.
Senior Lizette Salas and freshman Rachel Morris were USC's top finishers at 3-over 75, good for a tie for 42nd. Morris was 1-over going out with a birdie on 8 and 2-over coming back. Salas opened with a birdie but bogeyed three of her next six holes. She finished the back 9 at 1-over, which included a birdie on 18.
Sophomore Cyna Rodriguez and junior Inah Park tied for 57th at 4-over 76. Park carded pars on her first 10 holes before a bogey on 11. She was still 1-over until her only bad hole of the round, a triple bogey on 15. Rodriguez opened and closed with birdies to help offset a pair of bogeys and double bogeys.
Freshman Sophia Popov, riding a streak of eight straight top 7 finishes, is back in the pack after the first round, tied for 79th at 6-over 78 (her high round of the season).
Second-round action begins at 8 a.m. on Thursday.
Players Mentioned
