Women's Golf | 9/27/2021 7:13:00 PM

HOUSTON, Texas  Monday's opening round of the two-day Women's Division III National Preview at Bay Oaks Country Club is in the books, and Methodist's Monarchs are part of a four-team breakaway group bunched at the top of the leaderboard.

Two shots separate first-round leader Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) University (300, 12-over par) and fourth-place Methodist (302, +14), with University of Redlands (Calif.) and George Fox (Ore.) University sandwiched between at a 13-over 301.

The gap between Methodist and fifth-place Washington and Lee University (309, +21) is seven strokes.

Methodist All-American Jillian Drinkard (38-36—73) is tied for fourth place on the individual leaderboard at 1 over.

THE ESSENTIALS
Event: NCAA Women's D-III National Preview
Location: Bay Oaks Country Club (Par 72, 5,804 yards); Houston, Texas
Top teams: 1 – Carnegie Mellon (300, +12), T-2 – Redlands (301, +13), T-2 – George Fox (301, +13)
Top individuals: 1 – Alison Takamiya, George Fox (35-35—70, 2-under), T-2 – Sydney Kuo, Washington U-St. Louis (36-36—72, E), T-2 Malia Kiger, Redlands (35-37—72, E)

ROUND 1

• Drinkard began her round with pars on her opening two holes before dropping a shot on the No. 3. She repeated that three-hole scoring over Nos. 4-6, leaving her at 2 over.
• A string of five consecutive pars across the turn ended with a bogey on No. 12, but Drinkard played her final six holes at 2 under using birdies on Nos. 14 and 18 to close out her round just 1 over.
• Tied for 15th place in the field of 90 players are Methodist's Ingrid Steingrimsen (37-39—76, +4) and Ava Lucas (37-39—76, +4).
• Steingrimsen was 3 over after four, but steadied with pars on Nos. 5 and 6 before registering an eagle on the par-5 7th. She crossed the turn at 1 over, then withstood dropped shots on three holes on the back nine to finish at 4 over.
• Lucas bogeyed her opening hole Monday, but quickly found a good rhythm with pars on Nos. 2-4, a birdie on the 5th, and then three more pars before dropping a shot on No. 9. Lucas was playing well on the back before a double on the 15th got onto her scorecard. She parred the 16th and birdied No. 17 to right the ship, but added a bogey on No. 18 to also finish the round at 4 over.
• In a tie for 24th place is Emily Gresham (36-41—778, +5), just one back from her teammates. Gresham posted the best front-nine score of the Monarchs, hitting the turn at even par after collecting birdies on No. 3 and 4 to offset bogeys on Nos. 1 and 6. Dropped shots on 10 and 11 started to challenge the freshman, but pars on the next four holes helped her regain a rhythm. Gresham added three strokes on Nos. 16 and 17 but closed her round with a par on No. 18.
• Maggie Williams (38-42—80, +8) had an uncharacteristic round for the sophomore, ending Day 1 tied for 40th place. Williams birdied her first hole in the morning but carded a double on the next hole to erase the advantage. She rolled through the turn at only 2 over, however, and rolled in a par putt on No. 10 to start the back nine. A triple on No. 11 followed by a bogey on the 12th interrupted the rhythm Williams had found, though, and her 6 over on the back elevated her score to 8 over for the day.
• Participating as an individual at the tournament for Methodist is freshman Natalie Brosig (45-42—87, +15), playing in her first varsity tournament. The newcomer was consistent on the front nine, unfortunately that consistency was a dropped shot on seven holes and a double on another. Her 9 over on the front began to improve on the back with a par on the 10th. Though she did add strokes on several other holes, Brosig was more in control on the back nine, carding four pars within the last half of her round.

TOURNAMENT NOTES

• The Preview is being played on the same course that will host the 2022 NCAA D-III Women's Golf Championship.
• The ability to play on the national championship course has lured 12 teams from the Women's Golf Coaches Association top 25 to Houston, including the top three teams in No. 1 Carnegie Mellon, the No. 2 Monarchs, and No. 3 George Fox.
• Gresham's results from the par 3s Monday, cumulative 1 under with an average score of 2.75, tied for tops in the field.
• On the opposite end, Steingrimsen's eagle on a par 5 helped her to a 2-under finish on the par 5s with a 4.50 average, also tied for best in the field.

NEXT UP

• The Preview concludes Tuesday with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.
• Drinkard will start on No. 4 with second-place Kuo and seventh-place Laetitia Roegner of Washington and Lee.
• Lucas and Steingrimsen will begin on No. 5, while Williams and Gresham start the round on No. 6.
• Brosig opens her round on No. 16.