BYU opens season at Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – BYU women’s golf opened its season Monday, on a rainy first day at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Cougars sit at 15th halfway through the tournament, with a total score of 610.

"We didn't handle the tough conditions well," BYU head coach Carrie Roberts said. "Rose Huang's first round was solid and Naomi Soifua was awesome in the final round. At this point we just have to do better."

Huang and Soifua led the way for the Cougars, finishing tied for 21st after trading off good rounds. Huang opened up strong with a 73 (+2) in the first round, but dropped off with a 76 (+5) in the second. Soifua, on the other hand, opened with a 79 (+8) and caught fire in the second round with a 70 (-1).

Freshmen Allysha Mae Mateo and Annick Haczkiewicz made their BYU debuts Monday, finishing 55th and 90th on the day, while junior Anna Kennedy came in tied for 77th. 

UNC Charlotte leads the field of 17 teams after the opening day of competition, featuring two golfers tied for second place. The full team and player leaderboard, with the scoring breakdown and live stats, can be found here. The tournament concludes tomorrow with a final round of 18 holes.