Women’s Golf Slips to Ninth at Second Day of NCAA East Regional
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (May 3, 2022) -- The Franklin Pierce University women's golf team showcased its consistency on Tuesday at the NCAA Championship East Regional, hosted by William Jewell. The Ravens followed up Monday's first-round 318 (+34) with a second-round 319 (+35) at the par-71, 5865-yard Shoal Creek Golf Club, and slipped one spot to ninth place in the 15-team field. For the second straight day, freshman Kesinee Prukmathakul (Bangkok, Thailand) led the team, this time with a five-over 76, and she sits tied-10th with one round remaining.
At 149 (+7) through 36 holes, Prukmathakul is seven shots in back of the lead of Findlay senior Jill Schmitmeyer, who has fired back-to-back 71s (E) to lead the 81-player field at 172 (E). Based on which teams currently occupy the top five spots, Prukmathakul enters Wednesday's final round just one shot in back of the second and final individual qualifying spot for the NCAA Championship National Finals.
Junior Alia Godek (Feeding Hills, Mass.) was one of only two Ravens to improve on Monday's round, and her work helped picked up her teammates who went in the other direction, as she followed up an opening 84 (+13) with a 78 (+7) and is tied-43rd at 162 (+20). Freshman Phisonlaya Ruayruen (Chiangmai, Thailand) is tied-29th at 158 (+16) through two days, after back-to-back rounds of 79 (+8). Junior Micaela Leandro (Harlingen, Texas) rounded out Franklin Pierce's scoring four on Tuesday with an 86 (+15), and is solo-72nd at 88-86--174 (+32). Sophomore Kayla Schuberth (Wrentham, Mass.) slipped eight shots in the second round and is now tied-70th at 82-90--172 (+30).
It all added up to a second-round 319, and a two-day line of 318-319--637 (+69) for the ninth-place Ravens, who are just six shots from seventh, but also only 14 shots from 12th in a crowded midfield with a clump of six teams separated by just 20 shots. At the top, Findlay fired a 290 (+6) to lead the field for the second straight day and is out in front by 20 shots, at 292-290--582 (+14). Indianapolis is second at 305-297--602 (+34), while Tiffin at 307-306--613 (+45), Grand Valley State at 313-302--615 (+47), and Lindenwood at 310-308--618 (+50) round out the top five. Lindenwood holds the final qualifying spot for the National finals by just four shots over Missouri-St. Louis with 18 holes to play.
Individually, Schmitmeyer is three shots clear of a three-player tie for second at 145 (+3).
The East Regional wraps up with the third round on Wednesday at Shoal Creek Golf Club.