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PHOENIX, Ariz. (March 23, 2026) – The Northern Arizona women’s golf team opened play at the ASU Ping Invitational with a 13th-place showing after the first round, posting a combined score of 298 (+10) at Papago Golf Club on Monday.

No. 2 Southern California leads the tournament at 17-under-par (271). USC’s Jasmine Koo is the clubhouse leader after carding a six-under 66 to open the tournament.

Lydia Lin led the way for NAU, finishing the round at even-par 72. Freshman Lin is tied for 24th and delivered the most consistent performance of the day for the Lumberjacks, keeping her card clean and positioning herself well heading into the second round. She played the first nine holes at three-over-par but bounced back with three birdies on the back nine to finish even.

Frankie Dezis followed with a two-over 74 and is tied for 37th. Dezis battled through a steady round, limiting mistakes and keeping herself within striking distance of the top 25. The junior recorded a birdie on the 322-yard, par-4 12th hole to post an under-par back nine. She is tied for fourth in the field with 14 total pars.

Amy Hodgkins is one stroke behind at three-over 75 and is tied for 50th. Hodgkins also recorded a single birdie on the par-5 10th hole. Her 13 pars on the day are tied for 15th most in the field.

Nina Lukyanenko opened her round with a birdie on the first hole and added two more on holes six and 15. The senior finished at five-over 77 and is tied for 65th. Lukyanenko faced challenges during her round but will look to regroup as the tournament continues. She is currently tied for third in par-5 scoring at 4.50 (-2).

Sumin Kang rounded out the lineup with an eight-over 80 and is tied for 82nd. Kang battled through the front nine but played steadily on the back, recording birdies on holes 13 and 16 for an even-par second half.

As a team, the Lumberjacks are averaging 3.10 (+2) on par-3 holes and 5.05 (+1) on par-5s. NAU will look to improve its play on the par-4s, where it is currently averaging 4.20 (+15), by limiting mistakes. The team has recorded 10 birdies and 57 pars through the opening round.

Round two will begin at 8:36 a.m. MST for NAU, with Kang teeing off first on hole 10. Subsequent tee times will follow in nine-minute increments. Live scoring is available on Clippd Scoreboard.

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