Golf Tied for Fourth at End of Red Rocks Invitational First Round

SEDONA, Ariz. (March 20, 2021) – Before darkness suspended the conclusion of round two on Saturday, the Northern Arizona golf team opened the 2021 Red Rocks Invitational with a first round 15-over par 303, tying for fourth on the team leaderboard.
 
Freshman Ekaterina Malakhova, competing for the first time in NAU's annual home tournament, was also tied for fourth individually at even-par 72. She was one of two Lumberjacks, along with junior Aleksandra Chekalina, in the individual top 10 through the first 18 holes.
 
Malakhova began the morning with bogeys on the first two holes before recording birdies on two of the last three holes on the front nine. She closed the first round with birdies on her final two holes – 18 and 1 – to shoot her second-lowest round of her young career.
 
Malakhova's four first round birdies led the team and tied for third-most amongst all players, with Chekalina totaling three on her way to 2-over par 74. All three of Chekalina's birdies came on the back nine, as she tied for ninth overall at the end of the first round.
 
The Lumberjacks in all registered 11 birdies, second to only Grand Canyon's 14 in the opening 18 holes. The Lopes led the field at 6-over par 294, three strokes ahead of Gonzaga and six strokes ahead of Sacramento State.
 
NAU trailed only Sacramento State – the preseason conference favorite – among the seven Big Sky teams competing this weekend at Oakcreek Country Club. The Hornets resided in third at 12-over par 300 overall.
 
Junior Ashley Croft battled through a rough front nine by firing even-par on the back nine. Croft was the Lumberjacks' top golfer on the final nine holes in the first round, and was tied for 36th at 5-over par 77.
 
Like Croft, junior Elle Kocourkova rebounded from a treacherous front nine to finish the first round at 8-over par 80. Kocourkova was 7-over at the turn and birdied 18 to finish at 1-over on the back nine.
 
Kocourkova was tied for 68th, one stroke ahead of sophomore Lorel Hayward, who shot 9-over par 81 as an individual in the first round. Graduate student Klara Kucharova rounded out the Lumberjacks' lineup at 10-over par 82.
 
The second round will pick up with an 8 a.m. shotgun start on Sunday with the third round immediately to follow. Fans can follow along with live results on BirdieFire.
 
To stay up to date with the NAU golf team, follow the Lumberjacks on Twitter and Instagram.
 
Full Team Leaderboard
1. Grand Canyon – 294 (+6)
2. Gonzaga – 297 (+9)
3. Sacramento State – 300 (+12)
T4. Northern Arizona – 303 (+15)
T4. Seattle – 303 (+15)
6. California Baptist – 304 (+16)
7. Southern Utah – 305 (+17)
T8. Cal State Fullerton – 307 (+19)
T8. Weber State – 307 (+19)
10. UC Riverside – 309 (+21)
11. Illinois State – 310 (+22)
T12. Idaho – 312 (+24)
T12. Montana – 312 (+24)
14. Georgia Southern – 314 (+26)
15. Stephen F. Austin – 315 (+27)
T16. Utah Valley – 317 (+29)
T16. Wichita State – 317 (+29)
18. Dixie State – 319 (+31)
19. Northern Colorado – 322 (+34)
 
NAU Individual Scores
T4. Ekaterina Malakhova – 72 (E)
T9. Aleksandra Chekalina – 74 (+2)
T36. Ashley Croft – 77 (+5)
T68. Elle Kocourkova – 80 (+8)
T75. Lorel Hayward – 81 (+9)*
T82. Klara Kucharova – 82 (+10)
 
* Playing as individual