Tiger Golfers Get Good Start in NCAA Regional; Svensson, Rocio T-4

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A little (lot) of water on the golf course didn’t bother the No. 10 ranked LSU women’s golf team Monday as they turned in a 4-under par round of 284 and stand in third place after 18 holes of the NCAA Columbus Regional at the Scarlet Course at the Ohio State University.

The top three seeds – Arkansas, LSU and Ohio State – are the top three after the first round and will play together again in the second round on Tuesday as the teams continue to look to be among the five teams that will advance to the NCAA Championships in Carlsbad, California later this month.

LSU senior Elsa Svensson and SEC freshman of the year Rocio Tejedo each posted a 3-under par 69 to lead the Tigers with senior Aine Donegan in at even par 72.

The 4-under team total marked the third best NCAA regional round in program history in relation to par for the Tigers topped only by two -5 rounds in 2022 and 2024. That includes last years closing -5 283 in winning the Bryan Regional to send the Tigers to the NCAA Championships for a record tying fourth straight year.

“It was a solid start that has us in the top three, which is our goal, to get the preferred tee times,” said LSU Coach Garrett Runion. “Ohio State played very well, as expected on their home course, but I thought we played a very patient round. We got off to, I wouldn’t say a slow start, but we just didn’t make as many birdies on the front nine. But they stayed patient. Then our final five was really good, especially Elsa. She was three under her final five and it was a great round by her and then our Freshman of the Year, Rocio, played great in her first regional, and really carried up.

“I think if you go back to kind of what I was saying at the SEC Championship with the drop score, I think we have the second lowest drop score today, which keeping all five players in it is a big deal and will help us advance. All-in-all, a solid start, two more rounds to go.”

Ohio State posted the best round on the home layout at 9-under par 279, three shots ahead of Arkansas at 6-under 282 with the Tigers in third at 4-under 284.

Two teams not in the top five seeding hold the fourth and fifth spots after one round with Kent State and UNLV tied for fourth at 1-under 287.

Illinois, Kansas, SMU and Xavier are tied for sixth at 1-over par 289.

Svensson equaled her season aggregate low round but her lowest under par of the season at 3-under. The senior was 1-over after a bogey on the par 5 fourth hole but then coming home proceeded to birdie the par 3 13th, the par 5 14th, the par 3 17th and a kick-in birdie at the par 4 18th hole as she shot 4-under 32 on the final nine holes.

Tejedo posted her 20th round of par or under with her 69 with three birdies on the front nine to turn in 2-under 34 and then her final birdie of the round on the par 3 13th.

The two Tigers are T4 in the individual competition. The individual leader is Nellie Ong of Ohio State at 6-under par 66.

Donegan posted three birdies in her even par round, including on both final holes of the nine, the par 4 ninth and the par 4 18th. Her other birdie came on the par 5 14th.

Josefin Widal and Taylor Riley came in at 2-over 74 for LSU. LSUs drop score was only topped by one team in the field of 12. Riley helped her score with back-to-back birdies on the par 4 15th and 16th holes.

With the wet conditions, the teams played preferred lies (lift, clean and place) and the Tigers were able to handle the conditions in good fashion.

“It didn’t look like the conditions affected them at all,” said Coach Runion. “There was no wind. It was cool in the morning and the greens were soft. They handled everything today pretty well, and I was just very pleased with how they were patient and making some birdies coming in that really kept us up near the top of the leaderboard.”

The weather forecast for Tuesday as of Monday mid-afternoon calls for periods of rain of about a quarter of an inch with an 80 percent chance of rain and winds from 10-to-15 miles per hour.

The course played about 1.5 strokes over par (73.44). Tejedo’s birdie on the second hole (par 4, 375 yards) was one of just two recorded on that hole which played as the third toughest hole of the day at 4.30.

The Tigers led the field in par four scoring at 4.00 (Even par). LSU had 14 total birdies, T5 in the field, with Ohio State recording a field best 20. LSU was second in pars with 65. Tejedo posted a tournament co-best of 2-under 3.80 on the par 4 holes

LSU will tee off again with Ohio State and Arkansas at 8 a.m. ET off the first tee.

NCAA COLUMBUS REGIONAL
Columbus, Ohio – Ohio State University Scarlet Course
First Round Team Results (Par 288)
(Top 50 in NCAA Scoreboard performance rankings listed)
1 No. 14 Ohio State – 279 -9
2 No. 2 Arkansas – 282 -6
3 No. 10 LSU – 284 -4
T4 No. 39 UNLV – 287 -1
T4 Kent State – 287 -1
T6 No. 23 Kansas – 289 +1
T6 Xavier – 289 +1
T6 No. 47 Illinois – 289 +1
T6 No. 35 SMU – 289 +1
10 No. 26 Houston – 295 +7
11 Illinois State – 299 +11
12 Oakland – 310 +22

Top 10 Individuals (Par 288)
Top 125 in NCAA Scoreboard performance rankings listed
1 No. 72 Nellie Ong, Ohio State – 66 -6
T2 Isabel Brozena, Xavier – 67 -5
T2 Kendall Todd, Arkansas – 67 -5
T4 Lyla Louderbaugh, Kansas – 69 -3
T4 Emily Odwin, SMU – 69 -3
T4 No. 19 Rocio Tejedo, LSU – 69 -3
T4 No. 94 Elsa Svensson, LSU – 69 -3
T4 Yurang Li, Illinois – 69 -3
T4 No. 91 Faith Choi, Ohio State – 69 -3
T10 No. 4 Maria Jose Marin, Arkansas – 70 -2
T10 Foong Zi Yu, UNLV – 70 -2
T10 Mandy Song, Ohio State – 70 -2

LSU Scores
T4 Rocio Tejedo – 69 -3
T4 Elsa Svensson – 69 -3
T17 Aine Donegan – 72 E
T35 Josefin Widal – 74 +2
T35 Taylor Riley – 74 +2

Tee Time Waves Round 2
8 a.m. – Hole 1 – Ohio State, Arkansas, LSU (Teams 1, 2, 3)
8 a.m. – Hole 10 – UNLV, Kent State, Xavier (Teams T4, T4, T6)
8:55 a.m. – Hole 1 – Kansas, SMU, Illinois (Teams T6, T6, T6)
8:55 a.m. – Hole 10 – Houston, Illinois State, Oakland (Teams 10, 11, 12)
9:50 a.m. – Hole 1 — Individuals – Harvard, Youngstown, Michigan
9:50 a.m. – Hole 10 – Individuals – Minnesota, Eastern Michigan, Bradley