Monday, April 23, 2018

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – Behind an even-par round by freshman Estee Leung, Simon Fraser built a commanding 10-stroke lead after the first round of the 2018 GNAC Women’s Golf Championships, Monday at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course.

The Clan saw four of their five-person lineup finish in the top-four on the leaderboard to take the first round lead with a team score of 18-over-par 302, a 10-stroke advantage over second-place Concordia, which sits at 312.

Leung put together an outstanding first-day. She was the only player in the 30-woman field to finish at even par or better. She turned in a score of even-par 71, which was buoyed by birdies on the first and 13th holes. She shot bogies of just two holes. Teammates Belinda Lin, Michelle Waters and Erin Farner are all part of a five-way tie for fourth place with scores of 6-over-par 77.

Concordia’s Caitlyn Villatora sits in second place, three strokes off the pace at 3-over-par 74. Villatora carded three birdies in the round, including two down the stretch on the 462-yard 15th hole and the 17th hole.

Montana State Billings’ Shealyn Hafer is in third place, carding a score of 4-over-par 75. Hafer holed two birdies in the front nine, including the par-five, 499-yard first hole and par-three, 120-yard fifth hole.

Joining the three Simon Fraser players in the tie for fourth place at 77 are Concordia’s Cammie Decker and Western Washington’s Hannah Drake.

Western Washington is in third place with a team score of 319 while Montana State Billings is fourth at 322. Saint Martin’s is in fifth at 336 while Northwest Nazarene is one stroke behind at 337. The Saints are led by Celia Beyke, who is tied for 13th at 84, while Stephanie Miller leads the Nighthawks with a score of 81, tying her for 10th.

The final round of the GNAC Women’s Golf Championships tees off on Tuesday at 7:30 a.m.