2023 Pacific West Conference Championship (First Round)

LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. – Academy of Art women's golf senior Jae Eun Park sits planted among the leaders after the first round of the Pacific West Conference Championship hosted by Wigwam Golf Course, sitting in a tie for third place after she turned in a 3-over-par 75 while the Urban Knights are tied for sixth as a unit with a combined score of 40-over-par 328. 

Starting her day from the first tee box, Park collected birdies on the first and fifth holes to help her make the turn at even-par, ultimately finishing the day just three strokes behind current individual leader Tabetha Kang (even-par 72) of Point Loma. Also finding herself in the top half of the tournament field in a tie for 10th is freshman Maddie Elias, closing her day with just a single birdie on the 14th hole en route to her first round score of 6-over-par 78. Rounding out the ART U scoring is freshman Nicole Yang in a tie for 29th place at 15-over-par 87, while junior Napat "Plern" Rattanaprakarn is tied for 31st at 16-over-par 88. 

Thanks in part to the top individual finisher Kang, PLNU is the current team leader of the tournament after the Sea Lions finished the day at 21-over-par 309, giving them a six-shot lead over the two teams tied for second place in Holy Names and Dominican (27-over-par 315). Academy of Art sits deadlocked with Biola, and look to make a move on fifth place Hawaii Pacific (29-over-par 317). 

Round two of the PacWest Championship continues tomorrow from Wigwam Golf Course, with tee times for the first group (including ART U) set for 9 a.m.