Buffs Open Season With Long, But Great Day

UNIVERSITY PARK, Wash. — It was a long day for the University of Colorado women’s golf team, but it turned out to be a great one as well.
 
Colorado slogged through 36-holes, miles-and-miles of steps and nearly a half-day on the Chambers Bay Golf Course, but in the end the Buffaloes played a lot of solid golf to find themselves in third place, at 4-over-par, 580, after two rounds of the season-opening Leadership and Golf Invitational.
 
USC is the tournament leader after two rounds shooting 15-under, 561. Minnesota was the only other team to shoot in the red through two rounds. The Golden Gophers are in second at 8-under, 568.
 
The Buffaloes were consistent all day and kept mistakes to a minimum. Colorado was tied for third after the first 18-holes at 1-over, 289, and kept sole possession of third by dropping just three strokes in the second round.
 
“I’m so proud of them,” Colorado head coach Anne Kelly said. “We have a couple (Buffs) under the weather and they really hung tough. It’s a hike. It’s like 13 miles around (the course) for 36 holes with a lot of elevation ups and downs. It’s a tough walk.
 
“We got (to the course) a little after 6 a.m. (Pacific) and we left at 8 p.m., so between breakfast, golf and dinner, that’s a long day,” Kelly said.
 
Sophomore Morgan Miller set the tone early for the Buffaloes – as in the first swing of the season. Miller drove the green on the short-par 4, 246-yard No. 12, to within eight feet. She sank the putt for eagle to start off her career-best round of 68 which featured three birdies and just one bogey.
 
Miller shot even (72) in the second round to stay at 4-under on the day and is tied with three others for second place, three strokes behind overall leader Hailey Loh of Minnesota who shot 7-under, 137.
 
“(Morgan) played such solid golf,” Kelly said. “She was really hitting and putting the ball well, and when she missed a green, she got it up and down. She looked good today.”
 
All four of Colorado’s scoring golfers reside within the top 35 of the field. Senior Hailey Schalk is tied for 19^th at 1-over, while redshirt junior Lauren Waxer-Gooding is one stroke behind, tied for 22^nd at 2-over. Sabrina Iqbal, a graduate transfer from TCU, made her Colorado debut at 5-over, tied for 35^th. Carolyn Fuller made her collegiate debut for the Buffaloes at 15-over and…