New Mexico Lobos Women’s Golf – At the Golfweek Conference Challenge
Where: Red Sky Ranch & Golf Club, Wolcott, Colo. (Par 72, 6,249 yards)
Monday’s Team Leaders: 1- Pepperdine, 284. 2- Tennessee, 285. 3- Campbell, 290. 4- Denver, 293. 4 (tie)- Louisville 293. 6- TCU 303. 15- New Mexico, 315.
The Golfweek Challenge Field: New Mexico – Mountain West;Campbell – Big South; Colorado – Pac-12; Denver – Summit League; Georgetown – Big East; Illinois State – Missouri Valley; Jacksonville State – Ohio Valley; Lamar – Southland; Long Beach State – Big West; Louisville – ACC; Nebraska – Big Ten; Pepperdine – West Coast; Stetson – Atlantic Sun; TCU – Big 12; Tennessee – SEC; Texas State – Sun Belt; Toledo – Mid-American; Texas-San Antonio – Conference USA.
The Lobos: Ingrid Gutierrez, Katerina Jaeger, Alexandra Moisand, Eva Saulnier Kalyn Thayer
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
The New Mexico Lobos women’s golf team needs to stage a major moving day in the Golfweek Conference Challenge, but it won’t happen unless the Lobos figure out the nasty greens at the Red Sky Ranch & Golf Club.
“It was a tough day,” said Lobo Coach Jill Trujillo. “The course got really wet and the greens were really tough. We were hitting the ball well, but the greens are severe and quick and we need to work on that for tomorrow.”
Pepperdine holds the team lead after 18 holes with a 4-under 284 with Tennessee nipping at their heels at 285. New Mexico is in 15th place in the 17-team field with a first-round team score of 315 – 27-over par.
The tournament moves into the second 18 holes on Tuesday with the final round of the 54-hole tournament set for Wednesday.
Pepperdine used outstanding cards of 68 from Alina Ching and Tatiana Wijaya to claim the Waves’ one-shot lead over Tennessee. Ching and Wijaya take a two-shot lead into the second round with three golfers at 70 and three more with first-round 71s.
The Lobos were paced by freshman Alexandra Moisand at 76 and sophomore Eva Saulnier at 78. Moisand is in a tie for 33rd.
The Lobos played the par-5s at Red Sky 5-over par, but their cards were damaged on the par-4s where UNM went 22-over as a team.
The Lobos are playing in Colorado without their No. 1 golfer, Manon Molle, who is out with a fracture in her left foot.
The conference challenge brings in teams from 17 conferences. New Mexico is carrying the colors of the Mountain West. Pepperdine has won three of the five Golfweek Challenges titles. The Waves won in 2013 by 36 shots.
New Mexico Lobos at Golfweek Conference Challenge
| 15 | New Mexico | 315 | 315 |
| T33 | Alexandra Moisand (2) | 76 | 76 |
| T50 | Eva Saulnier (3) | 78 | 78 |
| T69 | Ingrid Gutierrez (1) | 80 | 80 |
| T73 | Katerina Jaeger (4) | 81 | 81 |
| T73 | Kalyn Thayer (5) | 81 | 81 |