ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (May 9, 2022) – The Northern Arizona golf team concluded the first day of the NCAA Albuquerque Regional with a 21-over par 309 as sophomore
Ekaterina Malakhova fired the low round of the day of 3-over par 75.
Battling through winds as high as 40 miles per hour, the Lumberjacks navigated their way through the UNM Championship Course and sits seven strokes behind Sam Houston and New Mexico State for 10th after the first day. The regional's top seed, No. 2 Oregon, holds a three-stroke lead over No. 13 Texas. The Ducks' 4-under par 284 set a new low round at the Albuquerque Regional.
Starting on the back nine, Malakhova opened the day with a birdie on her first hole, the par-4 10. It was her lone birdie on the day as she went into the turn at 1-over par before playing the front nine to 2-over par and finishing tied for 34th individually.
Malakhova's 13 pars were second-most on the team behind senior
Aleksandra Chekalina's 14, which were tied for fourth-most in the field on Monday. Chekalina shot 4-over par 76 and is tied for 39th.
Chekalina recorded par on her first seven holes and played a clean round with the exception of three consecutive bogeys on 5, 6 and 7. However, Chekalina bounced back and posted pars on 8 and 9 to close the round.
Recording a team-high two birdies apiece, senior
Ashley Croft and junior
Lorel Hayward rounded out NAU's scoring with identical scores of 7-over par 79, which ties the pair for 57th on the individual leaderboard.
The Lumberjacks will tee off the second round on Tuesday at 8:17 a.m. MST beginning with Croft at the 10th tee. Hayward will follow at 8:28 a.m. MST and Chekalina at 8:39 a.m. MST. Malakhova will be part of the final group at 8:50 a.m. MST.
Live scoring is available on
Golfstat.
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Full Team Leaderboard
1. Oregon – 284 (-4)
2. Texas – 287 (-1)
3. Florida – 288 (E)
T4. TCU – 292 (+4)
T4. Georgia – 292 (+4)
6. Arizona – 293 (+5)
7. Louisville – 295 (+7)
8. North Texas – 296 (+8)
9. Oklahoma – 299 (+11)
T10. New Mexico State – 302 (+14)
T10. Sam Houston – 302 (+14)
12. Northern Arizona – 309 (+21)
NAU Individual Scores
T34.
Ekaterina Malakhova – 75 (+3)
T39.
Aleksandra Chekalina – 76 (+4)
T57.
Ashley Croft – 79 (+7)
T57.
Lorel Hayward – 79 (+7)
