LAKE ELMO, Minn. — The Oregon women’s golf team opened its 2024-25 season on Monday with a 2-over 290 in the first round of the ANNIKA Intercollegiate at Royal Golf Club.
The No. 8 Ducks sit in fifth place in the 12-team field after 18 holes. South Carolina and Wake Forest are tied for the lead at 12-under par, with Iowa State in third at 6 under and Minnesota in fourth at 2 under.
Oregon was led by a 1-under 71 from Kiara Romero, who kicked off her sophomore year after becoming the second Duck ever to be named a first-team all-American as a freshman in 2023-24.
How it Happened: Romero had an uncharacteristic start to her round, making three bogeys in her first seven holes. She quickly returned to form, making four birdies in a six-hole stretch while shooting 4-under par across her final 11 holes.
Romero has now shot par-or-better in 25 of 32 rounds in her collegiate career. Romero won the 2023 ANNIKA Intercollegiate in her collegiate debut, the first of two individual victories as a freshman.
Sophomore Karen Tsuru came in one stroke behind Romero with an even-par 72, and freshman Tong An fired a 72 of her own in her collegiate debut. Tsuru birdied No. 16 and No. 17 to get back to even, while An made 14 pars and canceled out her only two bogeys with a pair of birdies.
Freshman Suvichaya Vinijchaitham rounded out the counting scores with a 3-over 75 in her first round as a Duck.
Ducks on the Leaderboard:
5. Oregon – 290 (+2)
T16. Kiara Romero – 71 (-1)
T19. Tong An – 72 (E)
T19. Karen Tsuru – 72 (E)
T37. Suvichaya Vinijchaitham – 75 (+3)
T49. Sonja Tang – 77 (+5)
Notable: Duke’s Katie Li leads the individual field at 6-under par, with six players tied for second at 5 under … Oregon’s 61 total pars were second-most in the field in round one … Oregon was 3-under par on par-3s, tied for second-best in the field … An’s 14 pars tied for second-most in the field.
Tuesday Round 2 Tee Times (all times PT):
6:30 a.m. – Sonja Tang
6:40 a.m. – Suvichaya Vinijchaitham
6:50 a.m. – Tong An
7:00 a.m. – Karen Tsuru
7:10 a.m. – Kiara Romero
