Buffaloes Off To Great Start At Golfweek Red Sky Classic

WOLCOTT, Colo. – The University of Colorado women's golf team had three of its four scorers finished under par to give it one of the best starts and rounds in the last five seasons as the Buffaloes fired a 5-under 283 on the first day of the Golfweek Red Sky Classic.
 
Colorado is tied for fourth with Central Arkansas and Denver. The trio is only four strokes back from the lead, which is held by Northern Arizona and East Tennessee State, which both finished the day 9-under (279). BYU is third (281). Colorado has a three-stroke advantage over Kennesaw State (286) and has another five strokes on Washington State, Rutgers and Delaware, which are tied for eighth.  
 
The Buffaloes were led by a pair of Buffs, redshirt freshman Lauren Gooding and sophomore Hailey Schalk, who each recorded their first round in the 60s of their collegiate career at the 6,305 yard, par 72 Fazio Course at Red Sky Golf Club.
 
Gooding fired a 4-under 68 in her debut for Colorado and is tied for fifth, while Schalk carded a 69 and is tied for 11th. Gooding's debut (68) tied her for the second-best debut in program history. Her teammate, Diane Baillieux, broke the record during the first tournament this season when she shot at 67.
 
The duo of Gooding and Schalk each recorded a 2-under 34 on the back nine as Colorado started on the 10th tee. Schalk sank three birdies and hit one bogey while making par on the other five holes, while Gooding shot two birdies that were offset by a pair of bogeys in addition to making four pars. The difference was on the 18th hole where Gooding recorded the first eagle of her collegiate career, carding a three on the 513-yard, par 5 hole.
 
They both played a strong front nine as well, each scoring three birdies. Gooding also had one bogey and made five pars to card another 2-under 34, while Schalk recorded two bogeys and made four pars for a 1-under 35.
 
The strong play continued for the Buffaloes as another pair, graduate transfer Diane Baillieux and freshman Natalie Vo, each carded a 1-under 71 and are tied for 24th. Vo's score did not count though towards the team score as she is playing as an individual.
 
Baillieux started her day by making par on the first eight holes before sinking her first birdie. She was 1-under heading into the front nine where she would continue her steady play. She made another two birdies and recorded two bogeys while making par on the other five holes to finish at 1-under.
 
Like the rest of the team, she started on the 10th tee. Vo made par before sinking her first of three birdies. She would record a bogey on No. 12, but then on No. 13, Vo made her first career eagle on the 390-yard, par 4 hole to go back to 2-under. She finished the back nine making another three pars with one bogey and another birdie (34).
 
The front nine was more of the same for Vo. She made par six times and recorded a pair of bogeys in addition to one birdie to finish at 1-over (37) on the front nine.
 
Junior Ellie Gower was slightly off in her round, carding a 75 with just one birdie while making 13 pars. Senior Malak Bouraeda also had an off day, hitting an 81 with two birdies and five pars.
 
"The team got off to a pretty solid start," head coach Anne Kelly said. "I'm really proud of our No. 4-6 players, all of whom shot under-par rounds! Lauren in her first college start was very impressive with a 68. Malak had a tough day, but she has been the backbone of this team for several years and I fully expect and believe she will come back strong the next few rounds."
 
BYU's Kerstin Fotu and Denver's Anna Catherine Krekling are tied for first as each recorded a 66. There is a two-way tie for third (67) and six athletes, including CU's Gooding, are tied for fifth (68).
 
The second round will begin Tuesday at 10 a.m.  
 
NOTES: Overall four of CU's six athletes finished round one with a sub-par score … Lauren Gooding made her debut for the Buffs at the Golfweek Red Sky Classic on Monday. Her 68 tied for the second-best debut in CU history with Julie Kim's 68 from the Ptarmigan Ram Classic in Fort Collins, Colo., on Sept. 11, 2006. Her teammate, Diane Baillieux, broke Kim's record in CU's first tournament of the season when she carded a 67 in the first round of the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational … A pair of freshmen Buffs, Natalie Vo and Gooding, recorded an eagle during the round, bringing CU's total to three for the season (through two tournaments). The other Buff with an eagle this year is Bouraeda … As a team, the Buffs recorded a 5-under 283, which they have not done since the 2016-17 season on a par 72 course. The last time CU's recorded a 283 in a round of play was during the third round of play at the Silverado Showdown on April 11, 2017 … CU won the Coeur D'Alene Collegiate, September 26-27, 2017, on a 6,088-yard, par 71 course shooting rounds of 282-268-284 (834). Coincidentally that was the last time CU had two or more players score rounds in the 60s. Kirsty Hodgkins, who took home medalist honors, and Robyn Choi, each carded a 65 in the second round, while teammate Alisha Lau added a 68 … During Monday's action, CU had four of its six athletes finish under par, including Vo who is playing as an individual. Two of those four, Gooding (68) and Hailey Schalk (69), recorded rounds in the 60s. This was the first round in the 60s for both Gooding and Schalk … CU entered the second tournament with a pair of sub-par rounds and after Monday's round has six sub-par rounds, which includes four rounds in the 60s.