Lansing Sun

Michigan State University's women's golf team commenced their participation in the NCAA Championships with an even-par 288, placing them tied for 12th among 30 teams. The event is being held at La Costa Champions Course in Carlsbad, California.

The competition involves 54 holes of stroke play qualifying, followed by a final round to determine individual champions and the top eight teams advancing to match play. Match play will conclude on May 22.

MSU Head Coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll expressed satisfaction with the team's performance, stating, "I think the day went very well... All five players played very nicely."

Clemson leads after the first round at 8-under par 280, with Texas A&M close behind. Stanford, Auburn, and Northwestern share third place at 3-under par. MSU shares its position with Arkansas at even-par.

This marks MSU's third appearance in four years at the NCAA Championships under Coach Slobodnik-Stoll. The Spartans began their round early on a cloudy morning and shared the lead during parts of the front nine.

Senior Leila Raines led MSU with a score of 1-under par 71, tying her for 18th individually. Sophomore Paula Balanzategui and junior Brooke Biermann both scored even par-72s. Junior Katie Lu finished at 1-over par while Shannon Kennedy concluded her round at 2-over par.

The Spartans are scheduled to continue on May 18 alongside Purdue and Baylor. Coach Slobodnik-Stoll emphasized patience as key in this lengthy tournament: "Every shot counts... You've got to pace yourself and you've got to be patient."