BROOMFIELD, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo women's golf team opened its 2023-24 season here Friday afternoon by sitting in second place following the first two rounds of the season opening Swan Memorial Invitational being held at Broadlands Golf Club and hosted by Colorado Christian University.
The ThunderWolves, who took home the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship a season ago and advanced to the NCAA West Regional Championships, opened Friday's first round by shooting a 12-over par 300, before carding a 306 in the second round on the 5,996-yard Broadlands Golf Club course. The Pack enter Saturday's final round sitting 12 shots in front of third place Colorado Christian, who fired rounds of 299 and 319 on Friday and are 24 shots behind day Preseason No. 4-ranked nationally West Texas A&M, who fired an even-par 288 as a team in the first round and then shot a 6-over par 294 in the second round to finish the first day with a six-over 582 for 36 holes.
Leading the way for the Pack in Friday's first two rounds was senior
Kylie Severin (Aurora, Colo./Vista Peak Prep), who carded rounds of of 73 and 71 to to sit in tie for third place with an even-par 144 for 36 holes. Severin is one four players that shot even par or better in Friday's action. She was second among the 89-player field in par-5 scoring as she played the course's par-5 holes at 2-under par (4.50).
The day one leader on the individual front are West Texas A&M's Gam Songprasert and Fort Hays State's Morgan Brasser. Those two players posted a score of 3-under par 141 for 36 holes to hold a three-shot lead over Severin and West Texas A&M's Lorenza Perini, who also shot an even-par 144 on Friday. Songprasert opened the event with a 6-under 66, before carding a 3-over 75 in the second round, while Brasser shot an even-par 72 in the opening round, before firing a 3-under par 69 in the second round to sit tied with Songprasert. Brasser and Songprasert were the lone two golfers to shoot under par through the first two rounds of action.
In addition to Severin, junior
Anju Ogi (Arvada, Colo./Arvada West) shot an 8-over par 152 for 36 holes to sit in a tie for 13th place. Ogi opened the event with a 5-over par 77, before carding a 3-over par 75 in the second round.
Junior
Zoey Rodriguez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo South) finished Friday's action with a nine-over par 153 to sit in a tie for 17th place. Rodriguez opened Friday's action by shooting a score of 1-under par 71, before firing a 10-over par 82 in the second round. Rodriguez was tied for second in the field in par-4 scoring as she averaged 4.00 on those holes and was tied for third in par-5 scoring as she averaged 4.75 (1-under par).
The fourth and final counter for the Pack in Friday's first two rounds was junior
Merielle Gojo (Cherry Hills Valley, Colo./Cherry Creek), who shot a 14-over par 158 for 36 holes to sit in a tie for 29th place. Gojo carded back-to-back rounds of 7-over par 79 on Friday.
CSU Pueblo's final competitor was sophomore
Freya Constable (Edinburgh, Scotland/Boroughmir), who shot an opening round score of 10-over par 82 and then fired a 9-over 81 to sit tied for 50th place with a 163 for 36 holes.
As a team, the Pack are tied for third in par-3, par-4 scoring and par-5 scoring as they averaged 3.30 (6-over) on the par-3 holes, 4.24 (12-over) on the par-4 holes snd 5.20 (4-over) on the par-5 holes. They are tied for second with MSU Denver in birdies for the tournament with 12.
CSU Pueblo and the rest of the teams in the tournament will return to the course Saturday morning for the final round shot gun start beginning at 7:30 a.m. The Pack will play the final round with West Texas A&M, Colorado Christian and Biola, who is tied for fourth after shooting a 621 (316, 305) in the Friday's opening two rounds.
