It looks like Southern California, No. 2 in the latest Golfstat rankings, means business at the
Pac-12 Championships at Ruby Hill Golf Club in Pleasanton, Calif.
If the opening-round of 10-under 278 wasn’t impressive
enough, the Trojans backed it up with a scorching 13-under 275 performance in
Tuesday’s second round for a 23-under 553 total that gives them a commanding
13-shot lead over UCLA, ranked fourth, and Arizona, ranked 11th.
Gabriella Then, a junior from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., led
the onslaught with a spectacular 7-under 65 over the 6,458-yard, par-72 Ruby
Hills layout that vaulted her to the top of the leaderboard in the individual
chase at 9-under 135. Then had eight birdies against a lone bogey in her
career-best round.
Colorado’s Alexis Keating, a senior from Elma, Wash., had a
pretty strong 6-under 66 of her own Tuesday and trails Then by only a shot in
the individual standings at 8-under 136.
But the show being put on by Southern Cal, as it seeks its
first Pac-12 title since 2013, is the big story at Ruby Hills.
Robynn Ree, a freshman from Redondo Beach, Calif., had a
3-under 69 and Tiffany Chan, a junior from Hong Kong, matched par with a 72 and
are two of the four players tied for fourth at 5-under 139. Karen Chung, a
junior from Livingston, N.J., matched Ree’s 3-under 69 and is tied for eighth
at 4-under 140.
Rounding out the counters for the Trojans is senior Kyung
Kim, who has been a standout at Southern Cal since arriving there four years
ago from Chandler, Ariz. Kim matched par with a 72 and is tied for 18th
at 1-under 143.
Arizona’s Haley Moore, a freshman from Escondido, Calif.,
had grabbed the opening-round lead with a 66, but fell back with an even-par 72
Tuesday and is alone in third place in the individual standings at 6-under 138.
She helped the Wildcats fire an impressive 8-under 280
total, but it was only enough to get a share of second at 10-under 566.
UCLA came into the second round trailing its cross-town
rival USC by just four shots, carded a 4-under 284 and, like Arizona, found
itself 13 shots behind the Trojans.
The Bruins got solid showings from Lilian Vu, a freshman
from Fountain Valley, Calif. who posted a 3-under 69 and is in the group tied
for fourth at 5-under 139, and Bronte Law, a junior from England ranked No. 1
in Division I by Golfstat who carded
her second straight 70 and is tied for eighth at 4-under 140.
Arizona State, ranked 10th, had a 4-under 284 and
is in fourth place at 7-under 569. The Sun Devils were led by Linnea Strom, a
freshman from Sweden who fired a 4-under 68 and rounds out the foursome tied
for fourth at 5-under 139.
Colorado, ranked 40th, also had a solid 4-under
284 behind Keating’s 66 and is alone in fifth place at 6-under 570.
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