Navarrosa Leads USC Women's Golf In NCAA Championships First Round

Sophomore Brianna Navarrosa carded a par 72 for her fourth straight round of par or better to lead the No. 8 USC women's golf team's efforts in the NCAA Championships first round at Grayhawk G.C. on Friday (May 20) in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Trojans combined for a 10-over 298 opening effort, battling strong winds in the afternoon wave, and are tied for eighth in the 24-team field. Top-ranked Stanford is first at 1-over 289.

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.

"This group should be so proud of the way they battled and hung in there during this incredibly tough round," USC fourth-year head coach Justin Silverstein said. "We got off to a very difficult start but held it together nicely when conditions started to get super dicey."

USC, a three-time national title winner, is trying to return to match-play action after missing it for the first time in the format's six seasons last year.

Navarrosa, tied for sixth and the only Trojan who played in the NCAAs last year, led the way Friday. It started with a pair of bogeys and she was 3-over through 10, but she birdied 12 to start a steady stretch and finished with birdies on 17 and 18.

"Today was all about patience," she said after her 13th round of par or better this season. "One mental slip and it would cost you big time. All throughout today, I took each shot one at a time. Being patient and keeping my emotions in check is what kept me in it all the way to the end. I trusted that at some point the putts would fall, no matter how long it took. That's golf."

Freshman Amari Avery also had a solid round and is tied for 27th at 2-over 74. She turned at par and came home at 2-over.

Freshman Xin (Cindy) Kou and sophomore Michaela Morard each birdied 18 to post 4-over 76s. They are tied for 55th. Senior Katherine Muzi was the non-counting score today with an 82.

USC tees off in Saturday's second round beginning at 7:25 a.m. PT.