NICHOLS HILLS, Okla. — The Oregon women’s golf team is in first place with a one-stroke lead after playing 36 holes on Monday to kick off the 2024 Jackson T. Stephens Cup at Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club.
Playing in a six-team field that features four other top-20 teams, the No. 13 Ducks sit atop the leaderboard at 26-over par entering Tuesday’s final round of stroke play. No. 2 South Carolina is one stroke back in second at 27 over, with No. 1 Arkansas in third at 32 over.
The top two teams after Tuesday’s round will face off in match play on Wednesday for the team title. The third- and fourth-place teams will play a third-place match on Wednesday.
Oregon was led on Monday by star sophomore Kiara Romero, who is in second place individually after shooting even par through 36 holes. Romero sits four strokes back of Wake Forest’s Carolina Chacarra (-4) for the individual lead; the top player at the end of Tuesday’s round will be crowned the individual champion.
Monday’s second round was broadcast live on Golf Channel, and there will be live coverage beginning at 1 p.m. PT on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
How it Happened: The Ducks got off to a strong start, sitting in a tie for the lead at 16-over par after the first round. Oregon was tied with Oklahoma State through 18 holes, with South Carolina, Arkansas and Florida State all just one stroke back.
Oregon matched South Carolina for the best round of the day in the second round, firing a 10-over 280 to take a one-stroke lead over the Gamecocks.
Romero was 1 over at the turn in the opening round before making back-to-back birdies at No. 12 and No. 13. She made par on four of her last five holes, but a double bogey at No. 17 brought her in with a 1-over 71.
Romero was much cleaner in the second round, making consecutive birdies at No. 4 and No. 5 before making the turn at 1 under. She birdied No. 12 to get to 2 under, and a bogey at No. 16 was her only blemish the rest of the way as she carded a 1-under 69.
A first-team all-American as a freshman last season, Romero made seven birdies between the two rounds to tie with Chacarra for the most in the field.
Oregon got an impact performance on Monday from sophomore Darae Chung, who fired a pair of 3-over 76s in her Oregon debut. A transfer from San Jose State, Chung is tied for fifth place overall after 36 holes at 6-over par.
Freshman Tong An (74) and sophomore Karen Tsuru (78) completed the counting scores for the Ducks in round one. An added a 75 in round two, and freshman Suvichaya Vinijchaitham bounced back from an 80 in round one to fire a 3-over 73.
Ducks on the Leaderboard:
1. Oregon – 296 – 290 — 586 (+26)
2. Kiara Romero – 71-69 — 140 (E)
T5. Darae Chung – 73-73 — 146 (+6)
T11. Tong An – 74-75 — 149 (+9)
T20. Suvichaya Vinijchaitham – 80-73 — 153 (+13)
29. Karen Tsuru – 78-80 — 158 (+18)
Up Next: The Ducks will play the final round of stroke play on Tuesday. Golf Channel will have live coverage beginning at 1 p.m. PT.
