Palm Desert, Calif. – Freshman Alexis Vakasiuola had a near perfect first round, totaling five birdies, 12 pars to just one bogey as she led Grand Canyon to a top five placement after day one of the Alice and John Wallace Women’s Golf Classic.
GCU shot 10 over as a team, tied with No. 33 Eastern Michigan and No. 10 Vanderbilt for fifth place. No. 2 South Carolina leads the 16-team field at 15 under, the only school with an under-par scorecard.
The tournament is being played at the Monterey Country Club, a par 71 distanced out at 6,108 yards.
Vakasiuola started her day 1 under through her first eight holes played, and after her lone bogey on her ninth hole (hole No. 1), tallied three birdies over her final nine to finish four under on the day.
Sophomore Allie Justiz, playing in her first tournament of the spring campaign, had a team-high six birdies including three over a four-hole stretch (3-6). Justiz finished 1 under, 70, and is the second of two Lopes in the top 10 tied for seventh.
Junior Lena Tremouille (6 over, T-61st), junior Jess Haines (9 over, T-78th) and freshman Rosie Maguire (12 over, T-92nd) close out the starting five for the Lopes. Freshman Honor Johnson shot 12 over as an individual, while sophomore Matilda Samervong went 4 over to put herself tied for 38th as an indy.
GCU’s 15 birdies in round one is second best to only USC’s 17. Justiz and Vakasiuola are two and three, respectively, in the birdies totaled among players. Vakasiuola is also second among 96 golfers in par 4 scoring (3.73).
Round two action continues tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. PT.