Women's Golf Sets 18-Hole Scoring Records In MountainView Collegiate

Sunday, March 19

Tucson, Ariz. (Mountain View G.C.)

All Day

North Carolina

Mountain View Collegiate Day Three

Photo by: Keith Lucas

Women's Golf Sets 18-Hole Scoring Records In MountainView Collegiate

March 19, 2023 | Women's Golf

MountainView_Final.pdf

By: Steve Kirschner

Kayla Smith, Megan Streicher and Crista Izuzquiza all shot in the 60s to lead the University of North Carolina women's golf team to its lowest round in school history Sunday on the final day of the MountainView Collegiate at the MountainView Golf Club in Tucson, Ariz.

UNC shot 12-under-par 276, the lowest total team score and the most strokes below par in a round in Tar Heel history (previous bests were 10-under 278s in 2012-13 in the UCF Challenge and 2016-17 in the Cougar Classic).

The Tar Heels equaled the second-best team score of today's third and final round, tying Houston 17 stokes behind team champion Iowa State. The Cyclones shot 29-under 259 today and shattered the 54-hole NCAA record by winning the tournament at 60-under 804.

Carolina improved three spots to finish 11^th in the 17-team field at 7-under-par 857, shooting 289-292-276 in the three rounds. The 7-under finish and 857 total strokes both are sixth best in Carolina women's golf history.

"This was a fantastic day for us. Any time you can count four scores under par you know you will be happy for the team," says UNC head coach Aimee Neff. "What I am happiest about is we played to the standard and abilities we are capable of, which gives us momentum heading to Georgia next week and with the NC State Match Play and ACC Championships coming up soon, too."

Smith, a senior from Burlington, N.C., equaled her season-low with 68 today to tie for 12^th place at 5-under 211 (70-73-68), her best outing since she won the Texas A&M "Mo"Morial in September.

Izuzquiza, a junior from Spain, shot 72-73-69 to post a career-best 2-under 214, which earned her a tie for 26^th place.

Streicher, a freshman from South Africa, tied for 41^st after shooting 68 in the final round for an even-par 216 total (71-77-68). It was her second straight tournament with a par or better finish.

Natalia Aseguinolaza (78-72-71) shot 1-under over the last two rounds and tied for 69^th at 5-over 221 and Vilde Nystrøm (76-74-72) tied for 75^th at 6-over 222 after an even-par Sunday finish.

"We capitalized on our birdie opportunities today," says Neff. "I am encouraged and excited for our players because we have even more in us. Now we need to build off today's performances and play like this for all three rounds."

Iowa State's Karisa Chul-Ak-Sorn tied the all-time NCAA 54-hole record at 25-under 191. She
set the course and MountainView Collegiate record on Saturday with a 10-under 62 in the second round and followed that with a 64 today to beat Ohio State's Caley McGinty by seven strokes.

"Iowa State really took it to the next level breaking the 54-hole collegiate record Stanford set last year by 10 shots," says Neff. "I am happy for them, and it was awesome to see for women's golf in general."

The Tar Heels return to action next weekend in Athens, Ga., at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic.

Carolina set the 18-hole school scoring records today without senior Krista Junkkari, who leads UNC in stroke average. Junkkari missed the tournament due to injury but could return to the lineup soon.