May 19, 2018
STILLWATER, Okla. ââ'¬" Two rounds are in the books at the NCAA Women's Golf Championships, and the vast majority of the field is still in the mix to make the cut at Karsten Creek Golf Club.
Auburn battled through high winds and hot weather early Saturday, then sat through a 91-minute weather delay before finishing in the twilight with a round of 306 (+18). At 34-over, the Tigers are tied with Oklahoma for 19th place but are just three shots out of the top 15 and the cutline for Monday's final round.
"We were a little out of sorts today, we didn't have our same game plan," Auburn head coach Melissa Luellen said. "I think part of it has been our inexperience, worrying about what everybody else is shooting. We've got to stay off Golfstat and figure out how we can play this golf course the best way possible.
"You've seen teams have a bad round the first day, then a good round today and move right up the leaderboard. If we just go play good golf, we're pretty good on day three, so I have a lot of belief that we can have a good round tomorrow."
The top 15 teams after 54 holes advance to Monday's final round of stroke play, after which the top eight move into a match-play bracket to determine the national champion.
The Tigers were able to make some birdies early and stay away from the big number as the team made the turn at 6-over. But pars and birdies were tougher to come by later in the round as Auburn ââ'¬" and most of the rest of the field ââ'¬" held on for dear life down the stretch.
Freshman Kaleigh Telfer led the charge for Auburn Saturday with a 2-over 74 that featured a pair of birdies, including one on the final hole to move the Tigers back into the top 20. Along with her opening 75, Telfer is 5-over for the week and tied for 36th place.
Senior Kelli Murphy knocked two shots off her opening-round score and finished with a steady 75 (+3) Saturday. She made 15 pars along with three bogeys to move to 8-over for the week and a tie for 62nd place. Sophomore Elena Hualde rebounded in a big way from an opening 82 with a 4-over 76 that featured a pair of birdies and just one hole worse than a bogey. Michaela Owen posted an 81, and Kayley Marschke recorded an 82 in the second round.
UCLA defied all logic with a 9-under-par 279 to vault to the top of the team leaderboard at 3-under, five shots ahead of Alabama (+2) and 16 clear of first-round leader USC (+13). Three players are tied for the individual lead at 5-under ââ'¬" Jennifer Kupcho (Wake Forest), Bianca Pagdanganan (Arizona) and Cheyenne Knight (Alabama).
Lightning in the area halted play at 4:23 p.m. with Auburn on holes 11-14. Play resumed at 5:54 p.m., and the final putt of the second round dropped around 8:45 p.m. CT.
Auburn will begin its third round at 1:21 p.m. CT Sunday on the first tee, paired with Oklahoma and Arizona State. Live scoring is available at golfstat.com, and fans can follow @AuburnWGolf on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates from the course.
Second-round results from the 2018 NCAA Championships, hosted by Oklahoma State at Karsten Creek Golf Club (par 72, 6,328 yards) in Stillwater, Okla.
Team Standings
1. UCLA ââ'¬" 573 (-3)
2. Alabama ââ'¬" 578 (+2)
3. Southern California ââ'¬" 589 (+13)
T4. Arizona ââ'¬" 592 (+16)
T4. Northwestern ââ'¬" 592 (+16)
T6. Florida State ââ'¬" 595 (+19)
T6. Kent State ââ'¬" 595 (+19)
8. Duke ââ'¬" 596 (+20)
9. Stanford ââ'¬" 599 (+23)
10. Louisville ââ'¬" 601 (+25)
11. Washington ââ'¬" 603 (+27)
12. Furman ââ'¬" 605 (+29)
13. Florida ââ'¬" 606 (+30)
T14. Colorado ââ'¬" 607 (+31)
T14. Wake Forest ââ'¬" 607 (+31)
T16. Baylor ââ'¬" 608 (+32)
T16. Arkansas ââ'¬" 608 (+32)
18. Texas ââ'¬" 609 (+33)
T19. Auburn ââ'¬" 610 (+34)
T19. Oklahoma ââ'¬" 610 (+34)
21. Arizona State ââ'¬" 611 (+35)
22. Virginia ââ'¬" 617 (+41)
23. Ole Miss ââ'¬" 623 (+47)
24. Ohio State ââ'¬" 628 (+52)
Auburn Individuals
T36. Kaleigh Telfer ââ'¬" 75-74=149 (+5)
T62. Kelli Murphy ââ'¬" 77-75=152 (+8)
T86. Kayley Marschke ââ'¬" 73-82=155 (+11)
T103. Elena Hualde ââ'¬" 82-76=158 (+14)
T110. Michaela Owen ââ'¬" 79-81=160 (+16)