FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Led by a career low round of 67 from sophomore
Lilas Pinthier, the Arizona Wildcats carded four rounds below par in the second day of the Mason Rudolph Championship. Saturday's 10-under performance was a four-stroke improvement from Friday as the Wildcats sit in second place just two strokes behind host Vanderbilt.
"Today was a great day for our entire lineup out there," said head coach
Laura Ianello. "We really capitalized off a great foundation from yesterday's round and carded even better scores today. To have four players below par in a round is a testament to our young women who show determination with every swing out there. We enter Sunday's finale in a three-way battle for a tournament win, and I couldn't ask for more from our team."
The Wildcats opened Saturday's round with a strong front nine holes with four players under par at the turn, led by
Gile Bite Starkute and
Carolina Melgrati at 2-under. The duo each shot 2-under for the day and sit in the top 15 of the leaderboards. Pinthier's 5-under round on Saturday was tied for the second lowest of the day out of the 78-player field.
Arizona enters Sunday's third and final round two strokes behind Vanderbilt and four strokes ahead of third-place Mississippi State. Pinthier is tied for third individually just a stroke behind co-leaders, Tillie Claggett of Vanderbilt and Megan Schofill of Auburn. Melgrati joins Pinthier in the top ten for the Wildcats at 3-under par and in a tie for eighth. Starkute and freshman
Nena Wongthanavimok give Arizona four players in the top 20.
