Seniors set the tone on day one of the Palmetto Intercollegiate
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KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – On a sunny day at Turtle Point Golf Course, the Kansas women’s golf team saw impressive scores from seniors Ariadna Fonseca Diaz and Chomchana Phuchanbanchob on day one of the Palmetto Intercollegiate, helping the Jayhawks fire a 5-over 293 to sit in second place. Fonseca Diaz started the day off with a bogey, but immediately regrouped from there as she carded two timely birdies on the front nine for a 1-under effort at the turn. She continued with another birdie and shot even par golf on seven of the back nine holes, setting the tone for the Jayhawks in the opening round. She concluded the day in a tie for third place and parred thirteen holes on the day, on her way to shooting 1-under 71.
Along with Fonseca Diaz, Phuchanbanchob had a consistent 18 holes, recording four birdies on the day with only two bogeys and finishing the day shooting even par golf thanks to a 1-under effort on the front nine. She joins her fellow senior in the top-five after day one, sitting in a tie for 5th place.
Sophomore Sera Tadokoro carded both a pair of birdies and bogeys on the front nine, but bounced back in a big way after the turn by making par on her first five holes and followed it up with a birdie to finish the day shooting 1-over 73 which is good for an eleventh-place tie.
Junior Yi-Tsen Chou carded two birdies, but it was the double bogeys on the first and last holes of the day that stopped her from moving up the leaderboard, as she sits in a tie for 46th place while shooting a 5-over 77.
With five bogeys on the front nine, freshman Pear Pooratanaopa couldn’t quite find her rhythm as she shot 10-over 82 on day one. She currently sits in a tie for 73rd place.
NOTES
- This was Chomchana Phuchanbanchob’s third round of the season shooting even par or better.
- Ariadna Fonseca Diaz’s opening round marked the 14th time in her career shooting even par or better in a round.
- The opening round score of 293 marks the second best opening round of the season for the Jayhawks.
QUOTES
Head coach Erin O’Neil on the senior’s performances in the opening round:
“Ari and Cake (Chomchana) both led the way for us today and played very solid golf. They did a great job of being mentally tough with the wind and staying patient.”
On what needs to be to done to maintain their spot on the leaderboard:
“Tomorrow we need to focus on what’s in our control which is committing to the process of each shot; we need to back off shots if we have any doubt or fear creep into our heads and we need to keep our energy in a good spot.”
UP NEXT
Pooratanaopa starts the second round action of the Palmetto Intercollegiate tomorrow, teeing off of the No. 10 hole at 9:15 a.m. Chou will follow at 9:24 while Tadokoro is teeing off at 9:33. Lastly, Phuchanbanchob starts at 10:42, while Fonseca Diaz looks to continue her hot shooting beginning at 10:51 for the Jayhawks. Follow the live scoring here.
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