Colorado's Lee named Pac-12 Golfer of the Month

THIS MONTH: Esther Lee, SR, COLORADO
• Lee won medalist honors at the Branch Law Firm/New Mexico Invitational on the strength of a first-round, 11-under par 61, setting a new NCAA record for most strokes under par in a round and tying the record of 61 set by Stanford's Maria Stackhouse.
• Lee, a winner for a program-best third time in her career, claimed the title by five strokes on the par 72, 6,317-yard New Mexico Championship Golf Course. Her win is tied for the second largest margin of victory in CU history.
• A day after her 61, she continued shooting 4-under par in the final round to secure the victory. In the third round, she made five birdies and 12 pars against only one bogey.
• Her 21 birdies marks a program record in a single tournament, topping the previous record of 18 set by Emily Childs in 2008. Lee also became the first Buff to notch three rounds in the 60s at an event and sets the program record for the most consecutive rounds in the 60s with her 61-69-68 scorecard.
• Lee tallied a program record 11 total birdies during her record round of 61 along with seven pars against zero bogeys. She shot 4-under on the front side and posted a school record 7-under par, 29 on the back nine holes.
• The third-year Buff's 61 in the first round tied Stanford alumna Mariah Stackhouse's 2013 NCAA scoring record and her 11-under par performance set an NCAA record in relation to par. Stackhouse went 10-under with her 61 on a par 71.
• Currently ranked the No. 1 golfer in the nation (GolfWeek).

ALSO NOMINATED:  Lilia Vu, UCLA; Olivia Benzin, OSU; Alivia Brown, WSU; Haley Moore, ARIZ

2016 PAC-12 WOMEN'S GOLFER OF THE MONTH