Rutgers women’s golf team completed the first round of the Canadian Collegiate Invitational on Monday in Aurora, Ontario. The event at Beacon Hall Golf Club was affected by thunderstorms, reducing play from two rounds to a 36-hole format. The final round is scheduled for Tuesday with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.
Redshirt senior Grace Lu led Rutgers by shooting an even-par 72, placing her tied for 14th after the opening round. Lu started strong with two birdies in her first five holes and added another birdie on the par-5 fourth hole.
“I really focused on sticking to my game plan today,” Lu said. “It is a challenging golf course with tricky greens, so I was happy to make good pars. All parts of my game felt steady even through the long day. We’re excited to take on the course again tomorrow.”
Rutgers finished the day in 10th place out of 12 teams with a score of 307 (+19). Kent State leads the tournament at seven-under-par (281), followed by Auburn at two-under and Virginia and Ole Miss both at two-over. Kent State’s Veronika Kedroňová holds the individual lead after carding a six-under-par 66.
Other Rutgers competitors included junior Emily James, who recorded a birdie on hole 12 and is tied for 37th after posting a 77 (+5). Sophomore Joline Truong made birdies on holes 10 and 14, finishing tied for 46th with a score of 78 (+6). Truong recently placed in the top 20 at the Wolverine Invitational earlier this month in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Freshman Elizabeth Ryu rounded out Rutgers’ scoring in 56th place with an 80 (+8). Junior Krystal Li did not compete due to illness.
The invitational continues Tuesday as teams complete their final round.
