SANTA ANA, Calif. – No. 5 Stanford shot consecutive rounds of 1-over 289 Monday to lead the 13-team field at UC Irvine Invitational. The women’s golf team enters the final round with a 10-stroke lead over second-place Texas A&M and seeks a second straight win for the first time since the opening two contests of the 2013 spring campaign.
Individual leader Mariah Stackhouse was 5-under through two rounds, and was joined in the top 10 by teammates Lauren Kim (+1) and Casey Danielson (+3), who were tied for fifth and eighth, respectively.
“We had strong contributions today from all five players,” Margot and Mitch Milias Director of Women’s Golf Anne Walker said. “We will be able to compete for a lot of championships if we continue to have consistency from our four and five players. They have been doing a great job of keeping it around 75 or better.
“Mariah, Casey and Lauren all posted great rounds, which is the reason we have a chance to win. I know every player on our team can play even better, and we’re working on that.”
The tournament concludes with the final 18 holes Tuesday beginning at 7:45 a.m. (PT). The individual winner of the tournament will receive a sponsor exemption to the 2014 Kia Classic (March 27-30) at the Aviara Golf Club.
Stackhouse was 2-under through her first 18 holes at the par-72 Santa Ana Country Club. After a bogey on the third hole of her second round, Stackhouse posted four birdies to finish with a 3-under 69 to end the day.
Kim followed an opening-round 74 with a 1-under 71, including birdies on four and 10. Danielson, who tied for second with Kim at last week’s Peg Barnard Invitational, went 69 in the first round but used nine more strokes to finish the second 18 with a 78.
Quirine Eijkenboom stumbled out of the gate and went 76-74 to finish at 6-over through 36 holes. Mariko Tumangan had four birdies during her second stint through the course and posted rounds of 76-75 to finish tied for 18th at 7-over.