May 19, 2024 • by Dan Davies
Saturday is known as moving day and the same is true of the NCAA DI Women’s Championship. With the field trimmed to 15 teams at the end of Sunday’s play, it was a day for making moves in the right direction.
Texas A&M made the biggest, starting early and getting to 11 under par as a team. The Aggies were four under par for their second round, led by Adela Cernousek who added a second consecutive 68 to get her to eight under par and at the head of field in the individual tournament.
The French junior, who is No.12 in the National Collegiate Golf Rankings, bogeyed the par-5 10th, but then reeled off four birdies to come home in 33. Her only previous gain had been a birdie on the tricky, downwind par-3 8th, known as ‘Little Terror’ (below). It all added up to a pleasing symmetry and another excellent performance.
As the sun beat down and the breeze off the ocean stiffened, many players became acquainted with the peculiar demands of Gil Hanse’s redesign of the North Course. The Championship Committee did their part, too, with some tough pin positions which, coupled with a fickle breeze and drying conditions, called for accurate driving to open up the right angles into some flags .
“The wind is just enough to get you uncomfortable,” agreed Aggies Head Coach Gerrod Chadwell, who is bidding to lead his team into the matchplay stages for the third straight year.
“The greens are drying out so it’s bouncing a little bit more. You’ve got to be disciplined, which I think our girls are. Our golf course at home really prepares us for that, and that’s what we’re trying to preach. Today was just as good as yesterday.”
Chadwell's team have made 36 birdies in the first 36 holes, three more than anyone else. But Texas A&M will be only too aware that there are some big teams tucked in their slipstream. They include No.1 seeds Stanford, who went about their business in typically efficient style. Another team score of -3 took them to six under overall.
It’s bouncing more. You’ve got to be disciplined, which I think our girls are
The pick of the bunch for Cardinal was sophomore Megha Ganne. Ranked 8 in the National Collegiate Golf Rankings, Ganne played her final 10 holes in four under to post a 70.
UCLA also got it going on day two, finishing five under for the day, two under overall. Zoe Campos was their best player, firing a bogey-free 69. Overnight leaders Clemson went in the opposite direction but are still inside the top three.
There were a number of standout scores posted by the best women amateurs in the game. Oregon’s Kiara Romero, ranked 4 in the country, fired a six-under par 66, a score matched by Farah O’Keefe of Texas, who is ranked 16. Arkansas freshman Maria Jose Marin, ranked 6, continued her fine season with a 68 to move to four under at the halfway stage.
The battle to make it into the top 15 is shaping up to be fierce and with nine spots up for grabs in the individual tournament, it’s all still to play for.
Texas A&M 11 under, Stanford -6, Clemson -3, UCLA -2, Auburn -1, LSU -1
Adela Cernousek (Texas A&M) 8 under, Annabelle Pancake (Clemson) -6, Lottie Woad (Florida State) -5, Maria Jose Marin (Arkansas) -4, Casey Weidenfeld (Auburn) -4