Trojans Get Off To Slow Start In NCAA Championships First Round

Senior Alyaa Abdulghany carded a 3-over 75 to lead the No. 6 USC women's golf team's first-round efforts in the 2021 NCAA Championships at the Grayhawk G.C. in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Friday (May 21).

Exactly two years after their last NCAA Championship appearance in the 2019 national quarterfinals, the Trojans battled the wind and a challenging course and finished tied for 20th at 19-over 307.

Texas took the first-round lead at 1-over 289 with Oregon one back, Stanford two behind and Arizona in a four-way tie three back in the 24-team field.

The top 15 teams after three rounds will advance to Monday's final round, where the top eight teams after 72 holes will move to the NCAA Championships match play bracket.

USC, a three-time national title winner, is trying to extend its NCAA-best streak of national top 5 finishes to 15.

Abdulghany was in the midst of a top 20 round before getting snakebite on the par 4 6th hole, where she posted a triple. She was par the rest of the round and is tied for 52nd at 3-over.

Freshman Brianna Navarrosa and junior Malia Nam are tied for 87th after carding 5-over 77s (they each birdied twice) while senior Amelia Garvey is tied for 96th at 6-over 78.

Senior Allisen Corpuz finished her round at 11-over 83.

USC will again join Florida State and Oklahoma State in the second round, teeing off at 7:36 a.m. PT.