via Imago
silhouette golfer playing golf during beautiful sunset. Credit | Imago
via Imago
silhouette golfer playing golf during beautiful sunset. Credit | Imago
At the renowned Yeamans Hall Club during the Cougar Classic, a rising star from Mexico made waves in the women’s college golf scene. With her current standing at 182nd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, this junior marvel demonstrated her rich potential in golf.
Witnessing young golfers display such extraordinary talent makes the game truly mesmerizing. The golf community and fans are filled with immense pride and admiration for these rising stars in golf which makes the sport more interesting. Let’s learn more about how she made history at the tender age of 21.
Creating history in women’s college golf
In a historic moment for college golf, Lauren Olivares Leon from North Carolina State University became the first woman to record a score of 60. During the opening round of the Cougar Classic which took place at Yeamans Hall Club, she stunned spectators with 13/18 birdies, which propelled her to the record score.
Initially, Leon was marked for an unprecedented 59 by Golfstat’s live scoring, a feat neither a male nor female collegiate player has achieved in the NCAA competition. Nonetheless, there was an oversight on the seventh hole (her 16th) where Olivares Leon was erroneously noted for a birdie 3 instead of the actual par 4.
After rectifying the score on her official card, her final count was 11-under 60, a score that still breaks the record for the lowest 18-hole score in women’s collegiate golf history.
The Mexican junior currently ranked 182nd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking commenced her historic day on the 10th hole with a birdie. After notching birdies on the final two holes of the back nine, she rounded off with a 32. She then displayed an impeccable game on the front nine, scoring 28 and recording eight birdies. In collegiate events, only 17 men have recorded a score of 60.
HISTORY: MADE
Heck of a way to start the season! Huge congrats to Lauren on a record round 🤩 pic.twitter.com/r1gW3omLm9
— NC State Women’s Golf (@PackWGolf) September 11, 2023
Following her record-breaking round, she immediately geared up for the event’s second round. Page Marsh, NC State’s head coach, shared her astonishment, stating that Leon was “on fire” and praised her “calm” and “amazing” gameplay.
A new era in women’s collegiate golf
This exceptional achievement places Olivares Leon ahead of the previous women’s college golf record of 61 held by five players, which include: Anna Zanusso from Denver University in 2020, Julia Johnson from the University of Mississippi in 2019, Bianca Pagdanganan from Gonzaga in 2017, Esther Lee from the University of Colorado in 2016, Mariah Stackhouse from Stanford in 2013.
The celebrations had to be brief, however. Leon and her Wolfpack team, along with the 16 other participating teams in the tournament spearheaded by the College of Charleston, were preparing for their second round in a 36-hole day. Leon has not just created history with her exceptional gameplay but she has also inspired and set a new standard for the future golf generation.
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