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LINCOLN, Neb. — The University of Iowa women’s golf team is currently tied for third place after 36 holes of play at the Chip-N-Club Invitational, hosted by the University of Nebraska at The Country Club of Lincoln. The Hawkeyes carded a two-round team total of 624 (+25) and are only 10 strokes out of second and 13 strokes off the lead.
Iowa fired a first round total of 311 (+23) and sat in fourth place after 18 holes of play. The Hawkeyes climbed two spots on the leaderboard in round two, finishing with a 313 (+25).
“We had some encouraging moments today,” head coach Megan Menzel said. “We played a little tight and it’s a tough golf course. We need to come out tomorrow with a little more confidence and know that we have what it takes to put together a solid final round.”
Sophomore Lauren English is tied for ninth place to pace Iowa. English carded a 36-hole score of 153 (+9) and contributed Iowa’s low round in the morning. The Bloomington, Ill., native dropped into red numbers after four holes in the first round and eventually got to -2 after a birdie on the 14th hole. She gave two strokes back with bogeys on the 18th and the first hole, but another birdie on hole two put her at even par. English finished with two pars, one bogey and one double bogey for a 75 (+3).
English started her second round with bogeys on four of her first six holes and rallied with a birdie on the 13th and followed with four-straight pars. English finished her second round with a 78 (+6).
Freshman Briana Midkiff and sophomore Shelby Phillips are each tied for 20th after finishing with a 157 (+13). Playing in her first collegiate tournament, Midkiff turned in a solid 76 (+4) in the opening round. She was one of only three players to birdie the par-4 fourth hole, and one of only six players to card a birdie on the par-5 13th. Midkiff fired an even-par 36 on the front nine, with two birdies and two bogeys, and finished with an 81 (+9).
The Carmel, Ind., native started her second round with seven consecutive pars. She dropped a birdie on the first hole, but finished with bogeys on four of her final five holes for an 81 (+9).
Phillips collected 12 pars in her first round en route to an opening round tally of 81 (+9). She trimmed five strokes off her score in round two, firing Iowa’s low round in the afternoon (76, +4). Phillips drained five pars to open afternoon play, which started on the fifth hole. She collected five bogeys and a birdie on the back nine and gained a stroke with another birdie on the first.
Seniors Kristi Cardwell and Gigi DiGrazia are tied for 29th with a 160 (+16). Cardwell collected rounds of 79 (+7) and 81 (+9), making 20 pars on the day. DiGrazia sank five birdies in her two rounds, including one of only six birdies in round one on the par-4 first hole. DiGrazia collected back-to-back birdies on holes one and two in her second round.
Junior Karly Grouwinkel is also competing as an individual and sits tied for 15th with a 36-hole total of 156 (+12). Grouwinkel fired a 77 (+5) in round one and followed with a 79 (+7) in round two. She carded a 37 (+1) on the back nine in her opening round and a 38 (+2) on the front nine in the afternoon. She had four birdies on the day.
Final round action at the Chip-N-Club Invitational begins Tuesday with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m.
“We really want to bring a good focus into tomorrow’s final round,” Menzel said. “The players need to trust themselves a little bit more. When that happens, everything will really come together for us.”