Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
MountainView Collegiate
Lady Raiders Take Opening Day Lead at Mountain View Collegiate
March 23, 2012 | Women's Golf
Kim Kaufman (left) and Beverly Mendoza (right) were two of Tech's five players in the top 20 Friday.
March 23, 2012
LUBBOCK, Texas - All five Texas Tech women's golfers were among the top 20 individuals Friday as the Lady Raiders opened the Mountain View Collegiate with a six-stroke lead after two rounds in Tucson, Ariz.
Tech, which is playing its third-straight tournament in the state of Arizona, fired a 4-under 284 first round in the morning before coming back with a 2-under 286 in the afternoon. The 284 opening round marked the fourth-lowest 18-hole score in school history while the second round was the sixth-lowest all-time.
The Lady Raiders are currently the only squad in the 15-team field under par as Indiana trails in second place with an even 576 card. Iowa State is 11 strokes back of Tech in third place at 5-over with Nebraska and Kansas State in fourth and fifth place, respectively, at 8-over and 9-over.
"I'm really pleased with the way the team played today," Tech head coach JoJo Robertson said. "They put themselves in great position for tomorrow. Each player contributed and it was great seeing a lot of low numbers across the board."
The Lady Raiders will by vying to become just the fourth team in school history and the first since 1995-96 to win more than one tournament in a year as Tech closed this past fall by winning the Texas State Challenge in Austin.
In the midst of battling for a team title, Gabby Dominguez will also enter Saturday's final round looking for her second medalist honor this year as the junior posted a 1-under 71 and 3-under 69 to finish the day four strokes off the lead in a tie for second.
The rest of Tech's lineup contributed as well with six of 10 total rounds on the day being under par. Kim Kaufman and Hannah Arnold finished tied for 10th at 1-under while Elin Arvidsson is two strokes back at 1-over in a tie for 16th overall. Beverly Mendoza finished the day 2-over and in a tie for 20th overall.
Arnold started off the day with a 2-under 70 round that marked the lowest in her young career. She will be going for her second career top 20 finish, while Arvidsson will be looking for her first in only her freshman season.
Mendoza, who was a regular in the top 20 as a true freshman in 2009-10, has not finished in the top 20 yet this year. Kaufman, on the other hand, will be trying to continue her season-long streak of finishing in the top 20 as she is 8-for-8 on the year.
Deborah DeVilla, who is participating this weekend as an individual, finished in a tie for 51st overall after 6-over and 3-over rounds.
Tech tees off the final round at 8:30 a.m. (CT) Saturday morning at the Mountain View Country Club.
Players Mentioned
