ST. GEORGE, Utah (Mar. 7, 2025) – After a 30-minute frost delay this morning, the Northern Arizona women's golf team got the first round of the Pizza Hut Lady Thunderbird Invitational underway. The team scored 299 (+11), tying for third place with Weber State.
New Zealand native Lizzie Neale shot an even-par round of 72 (E), recording three birdies, three bogeys, and 12 pars. She began on hole six as part of the shotgun start format and found herself three-over par after her first eight holes. However, she bounced back with birdies on the 14th, 17th, and second holes. Neale is currently in a four-way tie for second place on the leaderboard.
Amy Hodgkins, hailing from Australia, also made three birdies - on holes one, seven, and 10. Her round of 74 (+2) places her in a tie for ninth.
Ellena Slater finished the first round with a 76 (+5), tying for 25th place. The Englishwoman made one birdie on the 237-yard, par-four 14th hole.
Also tied for 25th is Sumin Kang, who is competing as an individual. The freshman from New Zealand carded a 76 (+4), making birdies on her starting hole (the 14th) and on hole two.
Frankie Dezis trails by one shot, shooting 77 (+5) to sit in a tie for 32nd on the leaderboard. The English sophomore made a birdie on the 405-yard, par-four 15th hole.
One stroke behind her is Ava Bates, another individual competitor. Her round of 78 (+6) puts her in a tie for 38th. The freshman from England started on hole 15, where she made her first birdie of the day, adding two more on holes two and 11.
Nina Lukyanenko rounded out the lineup, shooting 80 (+8). The Russian junior is in a tie for 54th and birdied hole two.
UC Riverside currently leads the tournament with a score of 293 (+5), followed by Stetson in second at 298 (+10). Individually, Stetson's Julieta Oviedo leads after shooting 71 (-1).
The second round will begin with a shotgun start at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Standard Time, with live scoring available through Scoreboard.
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NAU Individual Scores
T3 Lizzie Neale 72 (E)
T9 Amy Hodgkins 74 (+2)
T25 Ellena Slater 76 (+4)
T25 Sumin Kang 76 (+4)*
T32 Frankie Dezis 77 (+5)
T38 Ava Bates 78 (+6)*
T54 Nina Lukyanenko 80 (+8)
*competing as individuals
Results
1 UC Riverside +5
2 Stetson +10
T3 Weber State +11
T3 Northern Arizona +11
T5 Southern Utah +13
T5 Montana State +13
7 CSU Bakersfield +14
8 Wyoming +16
9 Utah Tech +18
10 Utah Valley +24
11 Eastern Washington +33
12 Idaho State +37
