Arkansas Shoots 7-Under in Second Round of NCAA Louisville Regional, Sits Above the Cut Line
SIMPSONVILLE, Ky. – Arkansas women’s golf (-11, 4th) will enter the final round of the NCAA Louisville Regional three shots above the projected cut line of 8-under par.
The Hogs, fourth of 12 teams on the leaderboard, will need a strong finish inside the top five on Wednesday to earn the program’s third straight trip to nationals and 14th overall.
How It Happened
Arkansas picked up where it left off in the first round and got off to a hot start on its first nine at 8-under with 15 birdies.
Maria Jose Marin (-5, T8) paced the Razorbacks with five birdies on the front, each coming in her last six holes. She hit multiple approach shots within six feet of the hole and put on a show with her putter.
Reagan Zibilski (+4, T45), who shot 3-under in the first round, birdied three of her first five and was tied for first at 6-under heading into the par-4 seventh. Zibilski bogeyed Nos. 7 and 8 but still finished her first nine 1-under.
Sara Brentcheneff (-4, T13), playing in the second-to-last group thanks to a first-round 70, had a roller coaster of a front half that ended with a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-5 ninth hole. She was even with a trio of birdies and bogeys but managed to finish 1-under and T11 at 3-under for the tournament.
Abbey Schutte (+1, T30) was also 1-under through nine. She was one of three to birdie No. 2, a hole that Arkansas was 4-over on the day before, and also one of three to birdie No. 4, the first par-5 on the course. Schutte dropped two shots on Nos. 6 and 7 before hitting an excellent tee shot to set up a birdie on the par-3 eighth.
Swetha Sathish (+5, T48) was 1-over through nine with eight pars and one bogey. She nearly dropped a shot on No. 9 after her ball was embedded in the greenside bunker, but made a great up and down for par to stay at 1-over.
The Hogs sat in second and trailed Houston by two at the turn.
The back nine was a different story for most of the squad until the final two holes. Heading into 17 and 18, Arkansas was 3-over and Zibilski’s score dropped after she hit it in the water on Nos. 13 and 14.
If not for a 4-under finish on the final two holes, the Razorbacks would be on the outside looking in with 18 holes to play.
Tuesday was a nearly perfect day for golf, as evidenced by the top three teams each shooting at least 10-under. Auburn (-17, 2nd) led the way at 15-under for the day with 15 birdies and three bogeys on its final nine holes.
Houston (-19, 1st), the day one leader, continued its dominance with a 13-under second round, led by Natalie Saint Germain with a bogey-free 66, the regional’s second lowest round of the day.
Arkansas will start the final round off of No. 10 at 7:00 a.m. and play alongside Virginia Tech (-8, 5th) and Ole Miss (-7, 6th).
Third Round Tee Times
7:00 a.m. – Swetha Sathish (+5, T48)
7:11 a.m. – Reagan Zibilski (+4, T44)
7:22 a.m. – Abbey Schutte (+1, T30)
7:33 a.m. – Sara Brentcheneff (-4, T13)
7:44 a.m. – Maria Jose Marin (-5, T8)
For more information on Arkansas women’s golf, follow @RazorbackWGolf on social media.
