The No. 15 Oregon women’s golf team was back on the course in the Arizona Wildcat Invitational in Tucson, Arizona and is entering the tournament coming off its fifth top-10 showing in six tournaments over the course of the season. 

The 11-team tournament consisted of 36 holes on Monday, where the team finished in third place behind New Mexico State at 5-over and ahead of Fresno State by seven strokes. Host school, No.10-ranked Arizona separated itself at the end of the opening round at 18-under. 

Led by senior Amy Matsuoka, who finished with 1-under and in a tie for eighth place, Oregon has four players sitting in the top-25 leaderboard — Sofie Kibsgaard Nielson at 1 over, Briana Chacon at 5 over and Alexis Phadungmartvorakul at 4-over 76 to round out the four. 

Matsuoka shot only one bogey to complete the round with 15 even pars and two birdies. She is only one stroke behind sixth place where two players are currently tied. The Southern California native leads the field with a total 28 pars. 

Both Kibsgaard Nielson and Chacon both shot a 1-over par to end Day 1 just two strokes behind Matsuoka. 

This is the second year in a row in which the Ducks are fighting for the second-place spot on the leaderboard and have 18 holes on Tuesday to shoot for that spot.