CANTON, Mass. – Kelly Zhao is among the top 10 individually and the Elon women's golf team ended the first day of the Red Bandanna Invitational in fourth place after battling through 36 challenging holes at Blue Hill Country Club.
The Phoenix made a 15-shot improvement from round one (310) to round two (295) and ended Monday's action at 29-over-par (605). Dartmouth (+12), Boston College (+16) and Columbia (+19) sit ahead of Elon while Georgia State (+40) rounds out the top five.
Four Phoenix made at least two-stroke improvements in the second round, highlighted by freshman Lili Downer, who shot a 1-under 71 – her first collegiate under-par round – following a first-round 82 to end her day in a tie for 21st (153, +9). Zhao (76-73 – 149) is tied for eighth at 5-over and trails clubhouse leader Sophia Li (-1) of Dartmouth by six shots.
Ashley Lafontaine (77-75 – 152) sits in a tie for 18th.
All four of Elon's scoring golfers in the second round tallied two birdies apiece. Downer, who birdied holes 9 and 18, overcame just one bogey on 14 for the team's best 18-hole round of the day.
TEAM LEADERBOARD (TOP 5)
| Place |
Team |
To Par |
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
Total |
| 1 |
Dartmouth |
+12 |
293 |
295 |
|
588 |
| 2 |
Boston College |
+16 |
299 |
293 |
|
592 |
| 3 |
Columbia |
+19 |
303 |
292 |
|
595 |
| 4 |
Elon |
+29 |
310 |
295 |
|
605 |
| 5 |
Georgia State |
+40 |
304 |
312 |
|
616 |
ELON ON INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD
UP NEXT
Elon will play the third round alongside Boston University and Sacred Heart. The groups will tee off hole 1 between 9:15-9:51 a.m. ET.
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