Soo, Milligan lead Sooner charge in Austin Regional
Oklahoma women’s golf stormed back in the second round of the NCAA Austin Regional on Tuesday, carding a 282 (-6) to climb eight spots on the leaderboard. The Sooners are tied for fourth place with one round remaining at the par-72, 6,341-yard University of Texas Golf Club in Austin, Texas.
The Sooners entered the day in 12th place after opening the tournament with a 299 (+11) on Monday. Oklahoma shot 17 strokes fewer in the second round, putting together the second-lowest round of the day amongst the 18 teams in the Austin Regional. The Sooners’ round of 282 also marks the second-lowest round score during an NCAA Championships event in program history.
“I’m really proud of the way we fought today,” said OU head coach Veronique Drouin-Luttrell. “We showed a lot of grit and executed really well. We put ourselves in a good position on moving day and have to be ready to fight again tomorrow.”
The Sooners will tee off in the tournament’s final round on Wednesday beginning at 9 a.m. CT. The six schools with the lowest scores and three top-finishing individuals not on an advancing team from each regional will move on to the finals, which are set for May 18-23 at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla.
Leading the way for the Sooners on Tuesday was junior Julienne Soo, who sunk six birdies to record a 5-under 67. The Australia native bounced back from shooting a 75 (+3) in her opening round and now sits in eighth place with a two-day score of 142 (-2). Her second-round score 67 is tied as the second-lowest round by a Sooner in an NCAA Championships event.
Freshman Kaitlin Milligan produced a 4-under 68 in a round that featured five birdies and an eagle. The freshman from Norman is tied for tied for 24th place with a two-day score of 145 (+1).
After shooting a 78 (+6) in the opening round, senior Hannah Wood bounced back with a 71 (-1) on Tuesday. Redshirt freshman Sydney Youngblood fired a 76 (+4) senior Valerie Tanguay finished with an 84 (+12).
The middle of the field remains crowded as only two strokes separate fourth and eighth place. Oklahoma will be paired with golfers from Baylor and Virginia Tech in the final round.
Should the Sooners claim a top-six finish and advance to the national championship, it will be their fourth appearance in the finals since 2012.
Live scoring will be available on GolfStat.com.