Northwestern Maintains Lead Following Round 2 of NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships

(SUGAR GROVE, Ill.) – Leading by two strokes after Friday’s opening round, Northwestern extended its lead at the 2017 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships with a team total of 298 in Sunday’s second round at Rich Harvest Farms. The Wildcats have a 36-hole team score of 599 to hold an eight-stroke advantage over Kent State heading into Monday’s final round of stroke play.

"I was really proud of the way our kids came out of the box on the back nine and played really solid,” said Northwestern head coach Emily Fletcher. “We played a good round of golf. We can't be discouraged, this is a big golf course. There are a lot of holes where you just can't let up. You have to play it a shot at a time. We made some mistakes out there. There were some things that got away from us, that we could control, that we need to do better tomorrow.”

Stephanie Lau leads a trio of Northwestern student-athletes in the top-10 with a two-round total of 149, tied for eighth overall. Kacie Komoto and Janet Mao are tied for 10th with a 36-hole total of 150.

Stanford, who matched Northwestern for the best team total of the day at 298, is currently third with a 36-hole total of 609, two strokes behind Kent State. Ohio State and Baylor round out the top five, the Buckeyes registered a second round score of 299 for a two-round total of 610 while the Bears posted a 300 for a 36-hole score of 611.

South Carolina (613), Southern California (618) and Miami (FL) (619) hold the final spots in the top eight going into Monday’s final 18 holes of stroke play.

Jennifer Kupcho of Wake Forest holds the individual lead at even-par 144 following a second round, two-under 70, tied for the low round of the day. Kupcho recorded an eagle on the par five second hole, along with four birdies, and holds a one-stroke lead over first round co-leader August Kim of Purdue who carded a second round 73, which included a trio of birdies.

“Today was really good,” said Kupcho. “I was hitting the ball really well. It started getting really windy so it definitely started getting a little tougher the last six holes but I held it together. My coach and my assistant coach supported me when I was making bogeys.

“The course played way easier today just because there was no rain. It's always going to be windy out here so you kind of come into it just expecting that.”

Monica Vaughn of Arizona State and Ainhoa Olarra of South Carolina are tied for third, one stroke behind Kim. Olarra posted a two-under 70 to tie Kupcho for the low round of the day as she recorded four birdies and just a pair of bogeys in the second round.

Monday’s final round of stroke play at the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships is scheduled to begin with first tee times at 6:45 a.m. Golf Channel will be on the air Monday beginning at 3 p.m. CT with pregame coverage, followed by live coverage of the final round starting at 4 p.m. CT.

By Jeremy Reid, NIU Athletic Communications