NM State Tied for Fifth After Day One in Hawaii

Monday 03/27/2023 | By: NM State Athletics Media Relations

Emma Bunch leads the Aggies and sits in a tie for ninth

LIVE SCORING & RESULTS

LAHAINA, Hawai'i – After 18 holes in the Aloha State, NM State womens golf finds itself in a tie for fifth place of the Anuenue Spring Break Classic. The Aggie finished the day shooting 288 (E). Of the five teams in front of NM State, three of them – Denver, Pepperdine, and UCLA – all sit in the Top 50 of Golfstat's team rankings.

"I thought it was a decent start for us today. We've been struggling in our first rounds, so it was great to see some putts go in the hole throughout the day," said NM State head coach Danny Bowen. "We still have a lot to improve which is even more encouraging."

Emma Bunch posted the low score for the Aggies in the opening round. Bunch fired a 70 (-2) and finished the day in a tie for ninth place.

"I was struggling out there but holed some good putts to keep the round together. But I also made a couple long putts for birdie which was fun," Bunch remarked. "The course was great and weather was awesome."

Just behind Bunch, both Alison Gastelum and Valentina Origel shot 71s (-1) to tie for fifteenth place. If carding birdies was a competition between the duo, Origel would have edged Gastelum by one on Monday, 4-3. Origel's four birdies matched Bunch for the most among NM State golfers in the first 18 holes.

Heading into Tuesday's action, NM State and Cal Poly remain tied at an even 288. The Aggies are well within striking distance of Santa Clara (287, -1), No. 30 UCLA (286, -2), and No. 25 Pepperdine (284, -4). The No. 41 Denver Pioneers lead the pack after one round, shooting 275 (-13).

Round One Notes

Emma Bunch and Valentina Origel both birdied four times in the opening round to lead the Aggies.
Bunch leads the pack for NM State, sitting in a tie for ninth place. Bunch remains tied with Carla Bernat of Tulane, who is ranked eighth in the Golfstat individual rankings.
Origel and Alison Gastelum sit right behind Bunch in a tie for fourteenth place.
As a team, the Aggies found success on holes six, seven, and twelve, birdieing twice on each hole.
Zoe Campos of UCLA, who is ranked sixteenth nationally, leads the field as an individual, shooting a 66 (-6) in the opening round.

NM State Results | Through One Round