Houston Women’s Golf Tied for Fourth at Mary Fossum Invitational

Yuka Kajiki scored birdies on hole 5
and 17 on day two action.
Photo courtesy of the
University of Houston
Athletics Communications
Department

Freshmen Yuka Kajiki, Megan Thothong among top-10 leaders after two rounds

 

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN (September 13, 2014) University of Houston freshmen Yuka Kajiki and Megan Thothong stood among the top-10 individual leaders following the first 36 holes of the Mary Fossum Invitational to lead the Cougars into a tie for fourth place in the team standings.

 

The Cougars posted a score of 614 to tie for fourth with Michigan after the first two rounds on the 6,236-yard, par-72 layout at Forest Akers West Golf Course. Houston posted a team score of 314 in Saturday’s morning round and then bettered that total by 14 strokes with a 300 in the afternoon session.

 

Both Kajiki and Thothong are competing in only the second collegiate events of their careers. Kajiki, who finished in a tie for 30^th at The “Mo”Morial earlier this week in Bryan, Texas, led the way with a score of 4-over-par 148 to stand in fourth place.

 

The Hiroshima, Japan, native started her day with a birdie on the par-4 third hole and battled through six bogeys for a 76 in the morning round. Kajiki enjoyed an even-par 72 in the second round of the day, draining birdies on Nos. 5 and 17 with only two bogeys on her scorecard.

 

Megan Thothong scored a
two-day total of 150.
Photo courtesy of the
University of Houston
Athletics Communications
Department

 Thothong was equally impressive and was tied for seventh with a

 score of 150. The Dallas native opened the tournament with a 76 

 and followed with a 72 in the afternoon round, which included three  birdies in a five-hole stretch .

 

Junior Raegan Bremer was tied for 25^th with a score of 156, while sophomore Emily Gilbreth was tied for 40^th at 160. Freshman Maddy Rayner stood in 71^st at 165.

 

Host Michigan State held the first-day lead with a score of 23-over-par 599, six strokes ahead of Notre Dame. Toledo stood in third at 609 with FIU (619), East Tennessee State (624), Western Michigan (632), Grand Valley (633) and Oakland (633) rounding out the top-10 team leaders.

 

Individually, Michigan State’s Sarah Burnham held the first-day lead at 1-over-par 145, with Grand Valley’s Gabrielle Shipley in second at 146. FIU’s Meghan MacLaren stood in third at 147.

 

The Final Round begins with a 7:30 a.m. (CDT) shotgun start Sunday. The Cougars will compete in threesomes with student-athletes from Michigan and FIU.