Buff Golfers In 16th At NCAA Regionals

STILLWATER, Okla. – The University of Colorado women's golf team trimmed four strokes as the competition heated up in the second round of the NCAA Central Regional. At 32-over par 608 (306-302), the Buffaloes are in 16th. CU is 12 strokes out of eighth place, the position the team would need to reach to advance to the NCAA Championships.

UCLA, the No. 3 team according to Golfstat (5/6), leapt into the top spot with a 1-over par 289 second round performance. At 12-over par 588, the Bruins hold a slim one stroke lead over No. 35 California. No. 21 Florida and No. 9 Alabama are tied for third with 16-over par 592s. No. 25 Ohio State rounds out the top five with a 17-over par 593 scorecard.

“The team overall played better today despite a rough start for a couple of our players,” CU head coach Anne Kelly said. “We were hoping to move up in the standings, but we still have a shot. We will have to work that much harder tomorrow and will need the best round of our season tomorrow to qualify. This team is very capable of going low – we will need to get off to a good start and keep it rolling all day. It will be exciting to see what we can do tomorrow.”

Senior Jenny Coleman continues to have an outstanding performance in her program-record fourth consecutive NCAA Regional and the 47th event of her career. Coleman, tied for 16th, holds a 2-over par 146 (72-74) scorecard at the 6,200-yard, par-72 Karsten Golf Club. Tying her 18-hole regional score from 2011 and '13 in the first round, Coleman smashed the 36-hole NCAA Regional record at CU. Her 146 is three strokes less than the previous record, set by both Coleman twins in 2012.  

Coleman began the round with four consecutive pars before making a bogey on the 397-yard, par-4 No. 5 which she had previously had a birdie on in the first round. Coleman quickly bounced back, going par or better on her next seven holes, including her only birdie of the round (and the program-best 329th of her career) on the 490-yard, par-5 No. 9. The Nos. 13 and 16 still proved challenging, with Coleman having bogeys on each in the first two rounds. In total, Coleman had 15 holes at or under par, extending her program record to 1,845.

“Jenny hit the ball quite well today, but just couldn't covert several birdie opportunities,” Kelly said.

In her third regional appearance, Kristin Coleman is tied for 42nd at 7-over par 151. Her scorecard ties for sixth best at CU through 36 holes at regionals, tying marks Emily Talley and sister Jenny recorded in 2011 and '13, respectively. Talley and the Coleman twins are the only Buffs to have competed in three NCAA Regionals.

Though she had a difficult start to the round, Coleman trimmed a stroke off her first round performance, shooting 3-over par 75 on Friday. Coleman had four bogeys on her first six holes, but went par or better on her next 12. She had a strong finish, making two birdies on her back nine, including on the 390-yard, par-4 No. 13 which she had a double bogey on in the first round. Coleman extends her school record to 1,580 career pars, having 11 in each of her first two rounds.

“Kristin really fought back from a couple of bad holes on the front nine as did Jamie (Oleksiew),” Kelly said.

Sophomore Alexis Keating had one of the Buffs' best second rounds, shaving six strokes on Friday. Keating holds a 12-over par 156 (81-75) scorecard. Keating began strong with two pars and a birdie on the 155-yard, par-3 No. 3, but had four bogeys on her final six holes on the front nine. She found her rhythm on the back nine, going par or better on eight holes, making a birdie on the 152-yard, par-3 No. 15.

“Alexis made a nice comeback after a tough day yesterday,” Kelly said.

As coach Kelly had hoped after the first round, sophomore Jamie Oleksiew (along with classmate Keating) was able to “bring it around” on Friday. Oleksiew showed the biggest improvement from the first round to the second, trimming eight strokes to shoot 6-over par 78 on the day. She now holds a 20-over par 164 scorecard. Oleksiew had eight bogeys in round two, but went par or better on her final five holes, making birdies on Nos. 16 and 18.

Natalie Vivaldi was disqualified from the second round for an incorrect card. The freshman called the violation on herself when she noticed an incorrect score that she had already signed for.

Kent State's Wad Phaewchimplee holds onto her individual lead at 6-under par 138. UNLV's Dana Finkelstein (Golfstat's No. 19) jumped four spots to second, shooting 2-under par 142. There's a four-way tie for third, with Alabama's Stephanie Meadow and Emma Talley, Oklahoma State's Jayde Panos and Florida's Sarah Schober all sitting at 1-under par 143.

The teams continue to fight for a top eight finish and a ticket to the NCAA Championships in the final round here Saturday. The round begins with a 7:30 a.m. CT shotgun start.