2023 DBU Inviational (Rounds 1 & 2)

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – A tough and crowded field made it through the opening two rounds of the 2023 DBU Invitational hosted by Poppy Hills Golf Club on Monday, and with the action concluded, Academy of Art women's golf sits in 11th place with a combined score of 75-over-par 643. 

Out in front for the Urban Knights is freshman Nicole Yang, currently in a tie for 37th after she finished at 13-over-par 155 with a total of four birdies on the day. Three of those came in her second round when she posted the best ART U round of the day, going just 3-over-par 75 which included two on the front nine (where she made the turn at even-par) before closing the day with one last birdie on the 18th. Yang's score helped lift ART U's team score in the second round, as the Knights were 33-over-par 317. 

Ending the first two rounds in a tie for 60th place was junior Napat "Plern" Rattanaprakarn, as she carded consecutive 10-over-par 82's in her her first 36 holds with just a single birdie in the opening round, leaving her at 20-over-par 162. Rounding out the scoring was the duo of freshman Maddie Elias and junior Tessa Geenen, who are both tie for 62nd at 21-over-par 163. For Elias, she was able to drop a pair of birdies on the back nine of her first round, while Geenen tallied just one her opening-round front nine. 

The Urban Knights hold just a four-stroke lead over 12th place UT Permian Basin (79-over-par 647), but are a ways off from the top Pacific West Conference team in the field which is Point Loma in fifth at 30-over-par 598. Holding the top spot currently is Cal State East Bay at 10-over-par 578, as they hold just a one-stroke lead over tournament host DBU (11-over-par 579) and a two-shot lead over third place Dartmouth (12-over-par 580). There's a three-way tie atop the individual leaderboard, with Julika Grosspietsch of the Pioneers, Katherine Sung of Dartmouth, and Alli Kim of PLNU all sharing a piece of the lead at 1-under-par 141.

Tomorrow will conclude the DBU Invitational as the third and final round tees off beginning at 9 a.m.