DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Leah Onosato is tied for the overall lead with a four-under par 68 following the opening round of the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Women's Golf Championship on Sunday. The three-day tournament is being played on the LPGA International Hills Course.
"Leah was in command of her game all day," said head coach Mallory Kane. "I've been saying for a while that she's really close to breaking through and today it clicked. She's playing with a special purpose this week."
The graduate student from Kumamoto, Japan, is even with Texas State's Marine Griffaut. Onosato made six birdies for her first day of the tournament, to include two on the front nine and another four on the back nine. She leads the 65-player field in par-4 scoring with an average of 3.80 and is tied for the lead in par-3 scoring with a 2.50. Arkansas State's Elise Schultz, Southern Miss' Momoka Anda, and Texas State's Jnuia Gabasa are all tied for third after carding two-under 70s.
Klara Wildhaber is tied for 18th with a two-over 74, Lucia Gonzalez shot a three-over 75 and is tied for 27th, and Minami Kudo and Pilar Muguruza both turned in rounds of 80 to tie for 50th.
As a group, the Monarchs are in fifth place with an 18-hole total of 297 (+9). Texas State combined for a two-under 286 to jump out to the early lead. ULM is currently second with a 291, and Georgia Southern is third with a tally of 292. Arkansas State is one stroke ahead of ODU and in fourth place with a 296.
"There's a saying in golf…you can't win it on the first day, but you can lose it. We are in contention with two more rounds to play, and the goal is to control what we can and remain patient," added Kane.
Play continues tomorrow with the Monarchs paired with the Red Wolves for Round Two. Kudo will be the first to tee off from Hole One beginning at 8:45 a.m., and Onosato is scheduled for a 9:21 tee time.
Fans can follow along with live stats through GolfStat, and the tournament is also being streamed on ESPN+.
Team Results
1. Texas State (286) -2
2. ULM (291) +3
3. Georgia Southern (292) +4
4. Arkansas State (296) +8
5. Old Dominion (297) +9
6. Georgia State (298) +10
T7. Troy (300) +12
T7. South Alabama (300) +12
9. Southern Miss (301) +13
10. James Madison (305) +17
11. Marshall (307) +19
12. Coastal Carolina (310) +22
13. App State (314) +26
ODU Lineup
T1. Leah Onosato (68) -4
T18. Klara Wildhaber (74) +2
T27. Lucia Gonzalez (75) +3
T50. Minami Kudo (80) +8
T50. Pilar Muguruza (80) +8
Onosato Tied for First Following the Opening Round of the 2023 Sun Belt Women’s Golf Championship
