SILVIS, Ill. – The No. 12 Loyola Wolf Pack women's golf team is now tied for 12th at the NAIA National Championship, moving up one spot after Thursday's third round at TPC Deere Run. The fourth and final round will be played on Friday, as the Pack is set to start teeing off at 7:39 a.m.
Loyola shot a team score of 329 (+45) on Thursday to move into a tie with 13th-ranked Ottawa University Arizona at 957 (+105) through three rounds. The Pack is just nine strokes outside the Top 10, as nine of the 18 teams left in the field shot 40-over or more during the third round on the course home to the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic. Also, less than one-third of the 96 golfers left in the field shot 79 or better on Thursday.
Like the second round, the Pack started their day on the 10th tee, playing TPC Deere Run's back nine in the morning and the front nine in the afternoon.
Lainey Cristan moved up one spot on the individual leaderboard to 46th place (+26) to lead the Wolf Pack. The Top 30 is within five strokes of her score and the Top 20 is seven strokes away. Cristan carded four pars and a bogey through her first five holes, but she'd finish the first nine 5-over after two bogeys, a double bogey and a birdie on her sixth through ninth holes. As what would become a theme for the team, the second nine holes were tough for Cristan. Her score was 11-over after 17 holes, but a birdie on hole No. 9 - the 18th hole for Cristan - capped off her 81 (+10) score.
Catherine Singletary moved up 30 spots on the leaderboard into a tie for 50th (+28) after carding a 78 (+7) on Thursday. She started her third round with a birdie, but six straight bogeys to close her first nine holes had her at 6-over at the turn. Singletary played a more consistent second nine, taking bogeys on the 10th and 14th holes, a birdie on the 11th, and six pars to finish off her round.
Emma Smithers is right behind her two teammates in a tie for 56th (+29), shooting a third-round 87 (+16). She had a bogey on her first hole of the day, but four pars and a birdie brought her to even-par through her first six holes. The senior would go on to bogey her seventh and eighth holes, then found the water on the 18th - her ninth hole of the day - to finish the first nine 5-over. Smithers would shoot 11-over-par on the second nine, however.
Blair McKenzie is next in a tie for 66th (+31) after her 92 (+21) on Thursday. She had an up-and-down start to her day, moving to 5-over after her first three holes before scoring par-birdie on her fourth and fifth holes. However, the sophomore would move back to 9-over once her first nine holes were done, then had a 12-over second nine to finish her day. Daniella Salazar moved up 26 spots to 83rd place (+39) after her third-round 83. She was 1-over through four holes, then made a birdie on her fifth and eighth holes. However, double bogeys on the sixth and ninth holes and a 9-over second nine finished her day.
Women's Team Leaderboard
1. #1 British Columbia – Round 1: 293 | Round 2: 312 | Round 3: 298 | Total: 903 (+51)
2. #3 Keiser – Round 1: 297 | Round 2: 307 | Round 3: 314 | Total: 918 (+66)
3. #4 Oklahoma City – Round 1: 303 | Round 2: 310 | Round 3: 309 | Total: 922 (+70)
T12. #12 Loyola – Round 1: 317 | Round 2: 311 | Round 3: 329 | Total: 957 (+105)
Women's Individual Leaderboard
1. Hannah Ulibarri (The Master's) – Round 1: 71 | Round 2: 74 | Round 3: 74 | Total: 219 (+6)
T2. Hoi Ki Lau (Keiser) – Round 1: 72 | Round 2: 80 | Round 3: 70 | Total: 222 (+9)
T2. Makayla Tyrell (Oklahoma City) – Round 1: 71 | Round 2: 75 | Round 3: 76 | Total: 222 (+9)
Loyola Women's Leaderboard
46. Lainey Cristan – Round 1: 82 | Round 2: 76 | Round 3: 81 | Total: 239 (+26)
T50. Catherine Singletary – Round 1: 81 | Round 2: 82 | Round 3: 78 | Total: 241 (+28)
T56. Emma Smithers – Round 1: 77 | Round 2: 78 | Round 3: 87 | Total: 242 (+29)
T66. Blair McKenzie – Round 1: 77 | Round 2: 75 | Round 3: 92 | Total: 244 (+31)
83. Daniella Salazar – Round 1: 82 | Round 2: 87 | Round 3: 83 | Total: 252 (+39)
You can keep up with the Pack by following Wolf Pack Athletics on Facebook at Facebook.com/LoyolaWolfPack, Twitter and Instagram @LoyolaWolfPack, and by checking out our website at LoyolaWolfPack.com.
