Tadokoro paces Jayhawks on day one of Moon Golf Invitational

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Hitting the course for the first time since October, the Kansas women’s golf team enjoyed two rounds of play at the Moon Golf Invitational, held on a windy day at the Duran Golf Club.

Facing nationally-ranked teams like No. 30 Louisville and No. 24 Oklahoma, the Jayhawks put up a fight on day one, but couldn’t move up the leaderboard as they finished the day in 14th place, firing a two-round 18-over par 594. The Jayhawks fired respective scores of 295 and 299 on the opening day of action.

Junior Sera Tadokoro led the Jayhawks on day one for a score of 3-over par 147, which puts her in a tie for 39^th place. Her team-leading scores of 74 and 73 were marked by five birdies.

It was also the steady play of senior Chomchana Phuchanbanchob that helped pace the Jayhawks in the first round as she sat in 17^th place at the turn. She came out firing with two early birdies and finished with a 71 (-1) in round one which ties her best round all season. Four birdies in the opening round didn’t quite carry over into the second round as she collected six bogeys and a score of 80 (+8) for a tie in 64^th place.

Freshman Pear Pooratanaopa struggled to find a rhythym on day one due to four bogeys in the opening round for a score of 4-over 76. She did par 25 holes in two rounds, which is second in the 90-person field. Pooratanaopa also carded a pair of birdies in the second round to improve slightly, and puts in her a tie for 58^th with Ariadna Fonseca Diaz with a two-round 150 (+6).

Fonseca Diaz carded two birdies in the opening round for a 2-over 74 effort but failed to improve in the second round with three birdies on the back nine and finished in a tie with Pooratanopa. 

Junior Yi-Tsen Chou couldn’t card some timely birdies on day one as she finished with a pair of 76’s in two rounds for an 8-over par 152. She picked up three birdies in the second round, but that couldn’t make up for a 4-over par 76 effort in round one. Chou finished in a tie for 68^th.

Joining Chou in 68^th place is freshman Abby Glynn, competing as an individual, who improved from the spring and registered a score of 8-over par 152 with three birdies of her own on the day. 

The Jayhawks tee off for the final round of the Moon Golf Invitational tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. Follow the live scoring here.

QUOTES
Kansas Head Coach // Erin O’Neil
“Overall, we hit the ball well but our putting and our mental game is where we gave shots away. We have to go out tomorrow and take care of the little things, focus on what’s our control, and try not to force shots.”

NOTABLES

• Kansas shot for par on 122 holes on day one which leads the 16-team field
• Freshman Abby Glynn fired a 75 in the second round which marks her best career round in her young collegiate career.

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