Great Start For Five Razorbacks
ROGERS, Ark. – Round one of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G is in the books and five current and former University of Arkansas women’s golfers are scattered throughout the leaderboard on Friday.
#ProHogs Stacy Lewis and Gabriela Lopez lead the Razorback field. Lewis, a 10-year veteran of the event at Pinnacle Country Club, is in the house shooting a 4-under 34-44 — 67, standing tied for 23rd overall.
Lopez is close behind with a three-under 36-32 — 68 and is tied for 35th in the field.
Razorback sophomore Alana Uriell, who earned a spot after shooting a 7-under 64 in the Monday qualifier, posted a 1-under 36-34— 70 and is tied for 77th overall. Recently graduated senior Regina Plasencia is tied for 104th with a 1-over 36-36— 72 and freshman Maria Fassi posted a 2-over 38-35— 73 and is tied for 122nd.
Uriell has had the hot hand for Arkansas as the Razorbacks played through the postseason portion of the collegiate schedule and that continued this week at Pinnacle. She opened with three pars and went bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie on holes four through seven to turn even.
After her bogey on the sixth hole, Uriell ripped her second shot on No. 7 to the right hitting the trees. A fortuitous bounce out of the branches left the Carlsbad, California, native with a great lie and a nice chip up to the green where she tapped in for birdie.
Four of the five Razorback birdied No. 18 and for Uriell, it seemed improbable after her second shot. She launched her second shot with a hybrid to the back of the green near the stands and on a slope. She chipped up and let the ball run the green stopping inside of three feet. She sank the birdie putt.
Plasencia, the only Razorback who didn’t birdie No. 18, picked up her birdies on Nos. 7 and 12. Both she and Uriell hit their second shots inside of four feet, sinking the putts.
Fassi, playing on the sponsor’s exemption, opened strong with a birdie on No. 2 but ran into trouble with a bogey on No. 6 and a double on No. 7. The Hildalgo, Mexico, native was long all day, but managed to finish strong with the final hole birdie after sinking a long putt.
NOTES
• Four of the five Razorback players birdied the 18th hole
• Stacy Lewis and Gabriela Lopez began their round in the morning from the 10th tee
• Regian Plasencia, Alana Uriell and Maria Fassi started on No. 1 in the afternoon session
• Saturday’s tee times:
o 8:58 a.m. Alana Uriell Hole 10
o 9:09 a.m. Regina Plasencia Hole 10
o 9:31 a.m. Maria Fassi Hole 10
o 1:47 p.m. Stacy Lewis Hole 1
o 1:58 p.m. Gabriela Lopez Hole 1
• Alana Uriell averaged 266.00 on her drives, 28 putts per round, hit 12/18 greens in regulation and was 1/1 on sand saves
• Regina Plasencia averaged 263.50 on her drives, 30 putts per round, hit 12/18 greens in regulation and was 0/1 on sand saves
• Maria Fassi averaged 290.00 on her drives, 29 putts per round, hit 10/18 greens in regulation and was 2/4 on sand saves
