2023 Bay Area Invitational (First Round)

STOCKTON, Calif. – It was a solid day on the links for Academy of Art freshman Nicole Yang on Monday, dropping a birdie on each the front and back nine while carding the best ART U round of the day with a 4-over-par 76, leading the Knights to sit in fifth place as a team at a combined score of 30-over-par 318 at the Bay Area Invitational.

Though the front nine was a bit rocky at times, Yang was able to record her first birdie of the day on the par-4 seventh hole to help her make the turn at 3-over par. The back half of the round was much more steady, as she got up-and-down for par on her first five holes before ending her round with a birdie on the 18th. All told, that brought Yang back to 4-over on the round and was good enough to tie her for sixth place, just four strokes back of co-leaders Drishti Karumbaya of Cal State East Bay and Ebba Wernered of Holy Names at even-par 72. 

Holding on to a top-20 placement thus far is sophomore Napat "Plern" Rattanaprakarn, as she sits just three strokes back of Yang among a crowded field in a tie for 20th place at 7-over-par 79. While she did not record a birdie on the day, Rattanaprakarn was steady as she had six pars each on both the front and back nine which was the fourth most in the tournament field. Trailing shortly behind her is senior Jae Eun Park in a tie for 26th at 8-over-par 80, while rounding out the scoring is junior Valeria Ruiz in 39th place after she turned in an 11-over-par 83. 

Despite not counting towards the team score, freshman Maddie Elias is one of the top individual finishers in the tournament as she is currently tied for third after she posted a 1-over-par 73. Her round was nearly flawless, going 1-under on the front nine after a birdie before the turn on hole nine, then used one more birdie on the 15th to close the final nine holes at 2-over. Her total of 13 pars were one more than Rattanaprakarn and third-most in the tournament field. 

Boasting one of the co-leaders in Karumbaya, CSUEB leads the team portion of the tournament after the Pioneers combined on a 14-over-par 302 to jump out in front of second place Cal State Los Angeles by five strokes. HNU is the top-finishing PacWest team in the field led by co-leader Wernered, as the Hawks sit in third with a score of 20-over-par 308, leading the Urban Knights by 10 strokes. 

The Bay Area Invitational concludes tomorrow, with Academy of Art scheduled to tee off beginning at 9:48 a.m.