Northwestern University Athletics
Mao, Wildcats Share Top Spot After Round 1 At Mason Rudolph
9/16/2016 4:36:00 PM | Women's Golf
FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Led by sophomore Janet Mao, No. 8 Northwestern wrapped up the first day of competition at the16th annual Mason Rudolph Women's Championship with a share of the lead. Mao fired a 2-under 70 at the Vanderbilt Legends Club's North Course to pace a trio of Wildcats in the Top-8 after 18 holes.
2016 Mason Rudolph Women's Championship – LIVE LEADERBOARD
The two-time defending Big Ten champions carded a 4-under 284 in Round 1 to share the lead with No. 3 Alabama, the only two teams under par after the first of three days of competition outside Nashville.
Mao recorded four birdies, including a pair on the Legends Club's Par-5 offerings, at 12 pars in her opening round on Friday. She will tee off on Saturday just two strokes behind the leaders.
Junior Hannah Kim, the two-time Big Ten Player of the Year, finished her first round with a flourish. The Chula Vista, California, native stepped up to the tee on No. 14 at three-over-par. But she birdied the Par-5 No. 14, parred No. 15, and then rattled off three straight birdies on the Par-3 No. 16, Par-4 No. 17 and Par-5 No. 18 to finish the round at 1-under, in a tie for eighth-place.
One of the golfers sharing that eighth-place slot on the leaderboard is classmate Sarah Cho who carded six birdies in her first round.
The Wildcats will tee off Saturday's second round at 10:10 a.m. CT, paired with Alabama and third-place SMU. Senior Kacie Komoto will lead off for Northwestern on No. 1, followed by Stephanie Lau, Cho, Kim and Mao in 10-minute increments.
Northwestern – 1/16 • 284-R2-R3=284 (-4)
T4 – Janet Mao -- 70-R2-R3=70 (-2)
T8 – Sarah Cho – 71-R2-R3=71 (-1)
T8 – Hannah Kim -- 71-R2-R3=71 (-1)
T18 – Stephanie Lau -- 72-R2-R3=72 (E)
T24 – Kacie Komoto – 73-R2-R3=73 (+1)
T69 – Brooke Riley* -- 79-R2-R3=79 (+7)
* Competing as an individual
The Wildcats are joined on the leaderboard this weekend by the host Commodores, No. 3 Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Chattanooga, Houston, Michigan State, Middle Tennessee, SMU, Troy, Tulane, UCF, and No. 14 Virginia.
Last year's 15th Annual Mason Rudolph Championship was a coming out party for Lau and a record-setting performance for Northwestern.
The Fullerton, California, native opened and closed the event with 4-under 68's on her way to a 206, the lowest 54-hole score in Wildcats history (since broken), and a Top-3 finish. Paced by the rookie, Northwestern placed four golfers inside the Top-17 and carded a 15-under 849, the lowest 54-hole team result in program history (since broken).
Earlier this week, Komoto fired a final round, 6-under 66 to finish in seventh-place at the 38th Annual Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque. Komoto's 208, the third-lowest 54-hole score in Wildcats history, led Northwestern to a fourth-place result at the season-opening event.
2016 Mason Rudolph Women's Championship – LIVE LEADERBOARD
The two-time defending Big Ten champions carded a 4-under 284 in Round 1 to share the lead with No. 3 Alabama, the only two teams under par after the first of three days of competition outside Nashville.
Mao recorded four birdies, including a pair on the Legends Club's Par-5 offerings, at 12 pars in her opening round on Friday. She will tee off on Saturday just two strokes behind the leaders.
Junior Hannah Kim, the two-time Big Ten Player of the Year, finished her first round with a flourish. The Chula Vista, California, native stepped up to the tee on No. 14 at three-over-par. But she birdied the Par-5 No. 14, parred No. 15, and then rattled off three straight birdies on the Par-3 No. 16, Par-4 No. 17 and Par-5 No. 18 to finish the round at 1-under, in a tie for eighth-place.
One of the golfers sharing that eighth-place slot on the leaderboard is classmate Sarah Cho who carded six birdies in her first round.
The Wildcats will tee off Saturday's second round at 10:10 a.m. CT, paired with Alabama and third-place SMU. Senior Kacie Komoto will lead off for Northwestern on No. 1, followed by Stephanie Lau, Cho, Kim and Mao in 10-minute increments.
Northwestern – 1/16 • 284-R2-R3=284 (-4)
T4 – Janet Mao -- 70-R2-R3=70 (-2)
T8 – Sarah Cho – 71-R2-R3=71 (-1)
T8 – Hannah Kim -- 71-R2-R3=71 (-1)
T18 – Stephanie Lau -- 72-R2-R3=72 (E)
T24 – Kacie Komoto – 73-R2-R3=73 (+1)
T69 – Brooke Riley* -- 79-R2-R3=79 (+7)
* Competing as an individual
The Wildcats are joined on the leaderboard this weekend by the host Commodores, No. 3 Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Chattanooga, Houston, Michigan State, Middle Tennessee, SMU, Troy, Tulane, UCF, and No. 14 Virginia.
Last year's 15th Annual Mason Rudolph Championship was a coming out party for Lau and a record-setting performance for Northwestern.
The Fullerton, California, native opened and closed the event with 4-under 68's on her way to a 206, the lowest 54-hole score in Wildcats history (since broken), and a Top-3 finish. Paced by the rookie, Northwestern placed four golfers inside the Top-17 and carded a 15-under 849, the lowest 54-hole team result in program history (since broken).
Earlier this week, Komoto fired a final round, 6-under 66 to finish in seventh-place at the 38th Annual Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque. Komoto's 208, the third-lowest 54-hole score in Wildcats history, led Northwestern to a fourth-place result at the season-opening event.
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