The No. 3 Arkansas Razorbacks women’s golf team fired a 4-under 284 and was in second place after the opening round of the NCAA Austin (Texas) Regional on Monday.
No. 7 Texas, trailing by four shots midway through the round, had a hot back nine and finished at 7 under to lead the 18-team field at the University of Texas Golf Club.
No. 11 Michigan State was in third place at 3 under, followed by Virginia Tech and Baylor, which both shot even-par 288; BYU (+3); No. 14 Florida (+3); No. 19 Auburn (+4); Texas A&M (+7); and Texas-San Antonio (+9).
The low six teams after three rounds in Austin and at three other NCAA regional sites will make up the 24-team field for the NCAA championships in two weeks at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla.
Junior Maria Fassi paced the Razorbacks in the opening round with a 3-under 69 that included seven birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey 5 on the par-3 No. 12.
Fassi, the runner-up for medalist honors at the SEC championships two weeks ago, is tied with Texas’ Sophia Schubert and Houston’s Megan Thothong, one shot behind Texas A&M’s Maddie Szeryk.
Arkansas junior Dylan Kim was one stroke behind Fassi and tied for sixth at 2 under. Kim, a transfer from Baylor, had the most consistent day among the Razorbacks with three birdies and one bogey.
The other counting scores for the Razorbacks came from juniors Kaylee Benton (even-par 72), who was tied for 23rd, and Cara Gorlei (+1), who is tied for 31st. Senior Alana Uriell carded a 6 over and was tied for 77th.