Next up, Tulsa
OU beat the Boston Terriers 9-0 to advance in the NCAA softball tournament.
— With one glaring and rare exception, Karsten Creek Golf Club is winning so far.
The ridiculous, courserecord-tying 65 of Wake Forest’s Jennifer Kupcho aside, the players in the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship were at the mercy of Oklahoma State’s home course.
Scores ballooned. Frustration festered.
And this was just the first round.
Entering the second and third rounds, pin placements will get tougher. Saturday’s temperatures could reach the mid-90s. Wind is expected to pick up to around 20 miles per hour on Saturday, then switch directions on Sunday, with some rain chances complicating things as well.
The rye grass that was planted to help thicken the rough made missed fairways a significant penalty.
“You have to drive it in play, and you have to keep the ball under the hole,” Alabama coach Mic Potter said. “The rough is longer because it is cut for the men’s tournament, so avoiding it is
important.”
Karsten has provided a tougher setup than usual, even those who have seen how difficult the course can play.
“I saw the course my sophomore year, so two years ago. It was different then because the rough was not as thick, the greens were not as fast,” Oklahoma senior Valerie Tanguay said.
“You have to think a lot. You cannot just be like, OK, I’m going to hit my ball. You have to be really strategic and place yourself on the tee box and place your shot on the green.”
The AJGA hosts one of its most prominent events, the Ping Invitational, at Karsten, so several players in the field faced the course as juniors.
“It’s the typical windy environment,” Southern Cal freshman Jennifer Chang said after shooting an even-par 72, which put her tied for 11th. “The greens have sped up. They’re a lot more firm. Par, or even 1 or 2 over, is a really good score, considering how difficult the conditions are.”
The front nine played notably tougher on Friday. Alabama’s team score reached 9 under par after starting the day on No. 10, but quickly soared above par once the Crimson Tide made the turn.
Alabama ended the day in second place at 4 over, just days after shooting a three-round total of 33 under par to win its regional.
The key to Kupcho’s spectacular round was a string of birdies on holes 3-5 — which were Nos. 12-14 for her after starting the round on the back nine — then capping the day with an eagle on her final hole.
Only two other players in the field broke 70, while 36 of the 132 players finished at 80 or better. The No. 1 ranked player in college golf, Arkansas’ Maria Fossi, shot 81.
Southern Cal had four players birdie No. 18 for a strong finish and the team lead at 3 over par, and coach Andrea Gaston wasn’t surprised by the over-par numbers on the scoreboard.
“I think this is a really difficult golf course. It’s really demanding,” Gaston said. “Playing in the wind, you have to stay in your routine. Scores? I’m not surprised. There might have been one or two good scores out there by a player or two, but I think it’s a very demanding course. Shooting around even, or a little over is not a bad score out here.”