No. 10 Women’s Golf Rises to T8 Following Second Round at NCAA Championship

 CARLSBAD, Calif. – The No. 10 Arkansas women’s golf team jumped up the leaderboard to tie for eighth after finishing the second round of the NCAA Championship with a 2-over 290. A reverse from yesterday’s first round, the Hogs were dominant through the back nine at 4-under par and inside the top four after teeing off from 10 in the morning. With the windy conditions picking up midway through the front, Arkansas shot 6-over to finish the round over par. Regardless, Arkansas was able to elevate four spots on the leaderboard heading to the third round, nine shots above the current first cutline with a 2-over 578 (288-290).

Maria José Marin paced the Hogs with a 4-under 68 for her eighth round in the 60s this season. She logged six birdies and just two bogeys with 10 pars to jump 34 spots on the leaderboard, sitting in a tie for fourth with a 4-under 140 (72-68) and four shots behind the leader in Texas A&M’s Adela Cernousek. José Marin’s 68 is tied for the fourth lowest round by a Hog in an NCAA Championship, matching Maria Fassi’s 68 in the third round in 2019 when she won the title. The freshman has also logged 21 rounds at par or better this season, which is tied for the third best in a season in school history. José Marin’s 10 birdies is tied for the second most in the field.

Kendall Todd was solid after coming out on a hot start to log a 2-under 70. She sits in a tie for 14th with a 2-under 142 (72-70). She registered four birdies and 12 pars with just two bogeys. Todd was 4-under par through 10 holes after delivering an impressive birdie on the first hole after a stellar bunker shot. She would bogey the second and fourth holes but finished the round with five straight pars to log her second straight round at par or better, something she has done 16 times this season. With her performance, Todd jumped 24 spots on the leaderboard to stand in the top 15 going into Sunday. Todd and José Marin are tied for the sixth best par 4s average with 3.85.

Miriam Ayora shot a 3-over 75 on Saturday, now sitting in a tie for 45th after two rounds. Ayora had two birdies and 13 pars, including a great par save on the 18th hole with a great bunker shot. She logged one bogey and two double bogeys to finish over par, now with a 2-over 146 (71-75).

Kajal Mistry had a rollercoaster of a round, especially on the front nine as the wind picked up. She finished the round with a 5-over 77 behind three birdies, eight pars, six bogeys and one double bogey on the final hole at nine. Mistry is in a tie for 86th with a 6-over 150 (73-77). Reagan Zibilski recorded an 8-over 80 in the second round. She had one birdie, 11 pars, one double bogey and a triple bogey. She is in 145th with a 14-over 158 (78-80).

Arkansas’ 288 in the first round was a new program record for the lowest round at an NCAA Championship, while today’s 290 is the third best in program history. The Hogs have the fifth best par 4s average (4.04) and are tied for the fifth most birdies in the field with 31.