The Michigan State women’s golf team fired a 6-under par 282 in the second round and sits in third place among 12 teams after the first day of play at the NCAA Norman Regional, being played at the Jimmie Austin Golf Club on the campus of the University of Oklahoma.
The regional was originally scheduled to be played over three days, but inclement weather forced the field to play 36 holes on Monday. The final 18 holes will be played on either Tuesday or Wednesday.
After opening with a 3-over par 291 on Monday, the Spartans bounced back with a 6-under par 282, the second-best team score in the round, the third-best team score of the day and a Michigan State program record for lowest team round in an NCAA Regional (besting the mark of 283 set at last year’s NCAA East Lansing Regional).
Stanford, the top seed in the regional and the No. 1 team in the country, leads the field at 16-under par 560 (276-824), with Northwestern five shots back in second place at 11-under par 565 (287-278). The Spartans are in third place at 3-under par 573 (291-282), with Baylor in fourth place at 1-over par 577 (287-290) and Tulsa rounds out the top-five teams at 2-over par 578 (292-286).
The Spartans were led by senior Brooke Biermann, who is tied for fourth place at 4-under par 140 (73-67). Biermann had a bogey and triple-bogey on back-to-back holes early in the first round, but played the final 13 holes in 3-under par to finish at 1-over par 73. She started the second round with back-to-back birdies and finished the second round with five birdies and 13 pars for a 5-under par 67, tying former MSU standout Lindsey Solberg (in 2012) for the lowest NCAA Regional in program history. Biermann is just one shot off the individual lead.
The Spartans have two other players sitting among the top-20 overall.
Junior Taylor Kehoe is tied for 11th place at 1-under par 143 (72-71). Kehoe shot an even-par 72 in the first round with three birdies and three bogies and had an impressive second round, making birdie on the par-4, 389-yard 14th hole – her fifth hole in the second round – and recording 17 pars.
Senior Katie Lu is tied for 14th place at even-par 144 (72-72). She finished her day with six birdies, three in each round, and 24 pars.
Sophomore Ana Sofia Murcia is tied for 25th place at 2-over par 146 (74-72) and junior Paula Balanzategui is tied for 51st place at 8-over par 152 (77-75).
The top five teams (30 teams total) and the low individual not on an advancing team (six individuals total) from each regional site will advance to compete in the national championships May 16-21 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.
The third and final round of the regional is expected to be played on either Tuesday or Wednesday. If the regional can be completed on Tuesday, tee times will not begin before 2 p.m. (ET). Tournament officials will release an update at approximately 11 a.m. (ET) Tuesday.
— MSU Athletic Communications
Read the full article here