PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – The Old Dominion women's golf team finished the first round of the Conference USA Championship in second place just four shots behind leader Florida Atlantic and have a pair of individuals – Jana Melichova and Leah Onosato – inside the top-10.
"We are pleased with our position after today," head coach Mallory Kane said. "I was very proud of the way Elsie finished her round – she played the Bear Trap 1-under par. Leah had a great birdie on the last hole, which gives her great momentum heading into tomorrow. Jana was solid start to finish. We still need a fourth score to show what we are truly capable of doing. I fully expect Federica and Pilar to bounce back tomorrow. Conditions will be much more difficult the next two days with winds expected to be gusting close to 30 mph out of the north. Our focus will be on taking it one shot at a time and controlling what we can."
The Monarchs posted a 19-over-par score of 307 and are just four shots behind the Owls. No. 49-ranked UTSA currently sits in third at 20-over 308.
Coming off the 15th top-10 finish of her career, Melichova posted an opening-round score of 73 (+1) at the PGA National Championship Course to end the day in a two-way tie for second. The senior from Pikovice, Czech Republic was steady throughout on Monday, carding just two bogeys and making one birdie. Her 15 pars were tied for the most among the field in the first round.
Onosato birdied the 507-yard par-5 18th hole to finish the first round at 76 (+4), which was good for a share of 10th place. Onosato matched two birdies with two bogeys on the front nine, making the turn at even par but was 4-over par after a pair of bogeys and a double-bogey to start her back nine. Another bogey on 17 dropped her to 5-over before she rebounded on the final hole.
Elsie Verhoeven posted an opening-round 77 and is tied for 17th. She navigated the infamous three-hole stretch known as the Bear Trap at 1-under, carding a birdie on the par-3 15th and posting pars on the 16th and 17th holes. For the round, she matched the best par-3 scoring mark in the field (-1).
Federica Torre shot 7-over on the back nine to finish the day with an 81 and a tie for 36th place. Pilar Muguruza shot 87 and is in a tie for 54th.
The Monarchs were the second-best team on the course's par-3 holes, going a combined 5-over par. Additionally, ODU notched the second-most pars (52) and had seven total birdies.
FAU's Letizia Ganoli, the 68th-ranked golfer in the nation according to Golfstat, was the lone player to go under par on Monday and leads the field at 2-under 70. Andrea Ostos of UTEP is tied for second with Melichova at 1-over.
ODU tees off at 8:40 a.m. tomorrow alongside first-place Florida Atlantic and third-place UTSA.
ODU Lineup
T2. Jana Melichova – 73
T10. Leah Onosato – 76
T17. Elsie Verhoeven – 77
T36. Federica Torre – 81
T54. Pilar Muguruza – 87
Women’s Golf Starts Strong at C-USA Championship
