ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – Western Washington University sophomore Emma Worgum fired a school-record-tying 4-under-par 68 with five birdies to lead the Vikings first-round performance at the Sonoma State Spring Invitational.

 

The Vikings turned in a solid first round at Foxtail Golf Club at 25-over-par 313 to sit in second place in the nine-team field. WWU trails No. 9 ranked in the West Region Cal State Los Angeles by two strokes heading into Tuesday's final round.

 

Worgum recorded a five-birdie 4-under-par 68 Monday to tie the program record and tied for the 2nd-lowest round in GNAC women's golf history. Starting on the 16th hole, Worgum opened her round with three consecutive birdies and finished her career collegiate low round with another birdie on the 15th hole to complete the back nine at Foxtail with a 4-under-par 32. Her round matches the school record 4-under-par by Megan Billeter at the 2021 Saint Martin's Invitational.

 

While the 4-under-par round was a superior performance on its own, Worgum accomplished the school record in tough conditions as the only player in the 48-player field to break par. Worgum carries a 4-stroke lead into the final round while seeking her first collegiate victory with Claire Shubin of Dominican in second place at even-par 72.

 

"I think Emma's round was special, she's been close in previous events, so cool to see her get it done on a new course. It really shows her talent and hard work," said WWU Director of Golf Luke Bennett. "It appears as though the women's course was playing tough and Emma played exceptional as the only player to break par in the opening round."

 

Sophomore Kasey Maralack and senior Claire Moon are tied for 15th place following 9-over-par rounds of 81 and sophomore Lauren Lee is tied for 22nd place with an 11-over-par 83.

W⛳️ | Congrats to Emma Worgum on tying the @WWUGolf single-round record with a 4-under-par 68 (5 birdies!!!) to lead the Sonoma State Spring Invitational through the first round of play. pic.twitter.com/SCIPzYNNdE
— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) April 8, 2024
 

The SSU Spring Invitational concludes Tuesday with an 8 am shotgun start for the 9-team field. The Vikings will be paired with tournament leader Cal State LA and GNAC foe Simon Fraser with players beginning on holes 1, 17 and 18 The official tournament leaderboard can be tracked online at wwuvikings.com/Live.

 

Here is a look at WWU's individual results and the team leaderboard following Monday's first round of the SSU Spring Invitational hosted by Sonoma State University at Foxtail Golf Club in Rohnert Park, California:

 

 

Here is a look at the Vikings 2023-24 tournament schedule for the WWU Women's Golf program. All tournament recaps, season statistics and program history can be found on WWUVikings.com/WGolf.

 

 

The WWU women's golf team is in its 31st season as an intercollegiate sport in 2023-24. WWU has a rich history on the links, winning the first five GNAC Championships beginning in 2011 and returned to the podium with back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022. WWU made its 12th appearance in the NCAA II West Regional Championships in 2022 after earning the GNAC's automatic bid. WWU has also made six trips to the NCAA II National Championships. A Viking has been named the GNAC Player of the Year in nine of the 12 years it has been awarded, including 2021-22 award winner Megan Billeter. WWU has also produced the only two players in GNAC history to earn four First Team All-GNAC awards (Jenn Paul and Kristen Hansen) and has had nine All-Americans.