IOWA CITY, Iowa — Olivia Williams is in second place and the UTSA women’s golf team has sole possession of fourth after day one of the Diane Thomason Invitational, which teed off Monday at Finkbine Golf Course (par 72/6,437 yards).
Williams is in second place at even-par 144 through the first 36 holes of the two-day tournament. The junior from England is only one shot behind the leader — Iowa’s Paula Miranda Hernandez — and she holds a one-stroke advantage over Wisconsin’s Chloe Chan with 18 holes left to play on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Roadrunners are in fourth in the team standings after posting rounds of 296 and 305. Their 36-hole total of 601 is one stroke in front of North Dakota State and three better than Southern Miss. UTSA trails Montana State by only three shots and second-place Wisconsin by seven. The host team Iowa leads the 15-team field with a 587.
Williams opened the day with a 2-under 70 that featured five birdies for her 14th career par-or-better round. Starting on No. 3, she bounced back from a bogey on the fifth hole with four consecutive birdies. She wrote down a three on the 382-yard seventh, a two on the 173-yard eighth and then another three on the 327-yard ninth before a three on the 395-yard 10th. After settling for two more bogeys down the stretch, she closed with her fifth birdie of the day, a four on the 537-yard second.
Williams posted a 74 in the afternoon on the strength of birdies on No. 4, her second of the day on the seventh and then her third of the round on No. 15.
Daniela Abonce has a share of 10th place at 5-over 149. The junior from Mexico carded a 1-over 73 in the morning behind a trio of birdies on par fours. The reigning American Athletic Conference champion then posted a 76 in round two that was highlighted by a birdie on No. 17.
Maria Bastarrica, Sydney Bisgrove and Morgan Ellison all are part of a nine-way tie for 40th. Bastarrica, a sophomore from Spain, turned in scores of 80 and 76. Bisgrove, a freshman from Canada, logged a 77 and a 79, while Ellison registered a 76 and an 80.
The final round is scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start on Tuesday.
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