The top of the leaderboard at the women’s NCAA west regionals for golf is relatively open after the first round of play in Corvallis. Arizona leads Stanford by five strokes and Michigan State by seven strokes.
In the middle of the pack, where the Oregon golf team resides, that the race is thicker than the Trysting Tree golf course rough.
The Ducks are in a tie for seventh place after the first day of play at the all-important NCAA regional tournament. Oregon is locked with five other teams for seventh, and the entire group is only one stroke behind sixth-place UCLA.
The Ducks need to hold onto eighth place or better to secure a ticket to the NCAA Championships in Howie-on-the-Hills, Fla., May 23-26.
Senior Jerilyn White is the only Duck among the top 30 individuals in Corvallis. White shot a two-over-par 74 to end the first day in ninth place overall.
If Oregon is unable to finish eighth or better, White may have a chance to compete at the NCAAs if she is one of the top two golfers whose team failed to make the cut. After the first round, White is the top golfer of all teams placed 12th or higher. The pack of teams tied for seventh includes three golfers leading or tied with White.
Freshman Lacy Erickson is the second-best Oregon golfer in Corvallis. Erickson shot a five-over par 77 to finish 31st. Senior Dawn Berry is 45th after shooting a 6-over 78, junior Kathy Cho is 55th with a 7-over 79 and sophomore Megan Heckeroth is 71st with an 82.
Arizona, ranked second nationally, opened a decent lead on the field over the first round in large part because of its top three golfers. Natalie Gulbis leads all individuals after she shot a 68 Thursday, Lorena Ochoa shot a two-under 70 to finish in second, and Anne Lee shot even par to finish fifth overall.
No other team at the regionals has three golfers among the top-20, as Arizona does.
Fourth-place Memphis State, unranked heading into the regional tournament, is the surprise of Corvallis so far. Memphis State is a stroke behind Michigan State, and a stroke ahead of Ohio State. UCLA is sixth, and the pack in seventh with Oregon includes Southern California, Arizona State, Washington and Tennessee.
Nevada is in 12th place, two strokes behind the seventh-placed pack. Host Oregon State is one stroke behind the Wolfpack. Behind Oregon State lies Furman, Indiana, Missouri, Colorado State, Brigham Young, Southwest Missouri State, Weber State and Central Connecticut State.
The regionals continue today with one 18-hole round and conclude Saturday.