Cal Poly Takes One-Stroke Lead into Last Round of Big West Finals

Monday, April 17

Spanish Trail Country Club, Las Vegas, NV

8 a.m.

The Big West Championship

Nicole Neale eagled the 18th hole with a 40-foot putt to move into second place on the leaderboard and lift Cal Poly into first place by one stroke in the Big West Championships on Monday.

Cal Poly Takes One-Stroke Lead into Last Round of Big West Finals

4/17/2023 6:53:00 PM | Women's Golf

SECOND-ROUND RESULTS

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Cal Poly turned back a late surge by Long Beach State and, thanks to an eagle by Nicole Neale on her final hole, will take a one-stroke lead over the Beach into Tuesday's final round of the 2023 Big West Conference Women's Golf Championship at Spanish Trail Country Club.

Long Beach State, which finished its second round 50 minutes ahead of Cal Poly, made up a five-stroke deficit and held a one-stroke advantage over the Mustangs with Kamille Dimayuga and Neale still on the course. Dimayuga played her last three holes at even par while Neale rearranged the leaderboard in the final minutes of the second round with her eagle on the 510-yard par-5 18th hole.

"Nicole hit a 4-iron onto the green in two, then drained a 40-footer for eagle," said first-year Mustang head coach Courtney Roberts. "It was perfect speed, just a beautiful putt."

The eagle, one of only two recorded in the tournament so far, moved Neale into a tie for second place on the individual leaderboard with Tiffany Le of UC Riverside, each with one-over-par 145 totals on the 6,315-yard par-72 course on the southwest side of Las Vegas.

It's likely that no one will catch 36-hole medalist Jasmine Leovao as the Long Beach State freshman is six under par with 18 holes to play following rounds of 66 and 72 for a 138 total, seven shots ahead of Neale and Le.

Three of the Beach's five golfers birdied the 18th hole and, one of them, Hannah Ko, also birdied the 17th to help Long Beach State surpass the two-time defending conference champion Mustangs, who at one time during the second round led by eight shots.

Long Beach State closed with a four-person 295 total for a 16-over-par 592 aggregate for 36 holes. All five Cal Poly players were still on the course when the Beach players finished their rounds and the Mustangs made up the slim deficit, thanks to the play of Dimayuga and Neale, finishing with a 591 total.

UC Riverside is third at 23 over par while Cal State Fullerton sits in fourth place at 26 over par.

"I'm proud of how the team fought and battled today," Roberts said. "As the wind picked up toward the end of the round, the team buckled down and hit some incredible golf shots down the stretch.

Neale posted a par round with the eagle, three birdies and five bogeys. Dimayuga closed out her second round in a tie for sixth place after recording a 75 with two birdies and five bogeys.

Cal Poly, which carded eight birdies on the front nine for its eight-stroke cushion, fell back to the rest of the field on the back nine with just three birdies in the afternoon winds.

Jensen Jalufka played her last 10 holes nine over par with six bogeys and a triple-bogey, slipping from fifth place into 21st place with a second-round 81 and a 154 total for 36 holes.

Wang, at one time tied for third place following two birdies in her first seven holes, bogeyed six of her final 11 holes without a birdie and is tied for ninth with a five-over-par 149 total.

Elizabeth Scholtes notched three birdies, five bogeys and a double-bogey for a 76, moving up two spots to 20th place.

Neale is first in par-five scoring at five under par while Wang is second in par-three scoring at even par. Neale, Dimayuga and Wang share third place with six other golfers with five birdies over 36 holes.

Final round is set for Tuesday morning with split tee times. Cal Poly will tee off with Long Beach State and UC Riverside at 9:50 a.m. from the first tee.