SAN ANTONIO — Led by four players in the top 12, the UTSA women's golf team leads the field after the opening day of the Maryb S. Kauth Invitational, which got underway Tuesday at San Antonio Country Club (par 72/6,131 yards).
Camryn Carreon is tied for third place, Ana Gonzalez and Hannah Holzmann are part of a deadlock for sixth and Nicole Polivchak has a share of 12th after 36 holes to help put the Roadrunners in contention to win their second straight team title at their annual home tournament.
UTSA opened the 54-hole event with a 5-over-par 293 on Tuesday morning and then posted a 303 during windy conditions in the afternoon, good for a 36-hole total of 595. The Roadrunners have a four-shot lead on No. 32 Texas Tech (599) and a five-stroke advantage over No. 30 North Texas in the eight-team field with 18 holes left to play on Wednesday.
Individually, Carreon is part of a three-way tie for third place at 3-over 147. The sophomore from San Antonio opened with a 2-over 74 that was highlighted by a pair of birdies. The runner-up at this tournament a year ago then carded a 73 in the afternoon on the strength of a two-hole stretch that saw her birdie the 383-yard, par-4 seventh and then hole out from the fairway for an eagle on the 305-yard, par-4 eighth, leading to a 3-under 33 on the front nine. She is five shots off the 2-under pace set by Texas Tech's Sofia Garcia, the 15th-ranked player in the country.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez and Holzmann are two shots behind their teammate in a six-way share of sixth place at 5-over 149.
Gonzalez, who tied for 10th place at last year's event, began her week by posting an even-par 72 that included birdies on the 361-yard, par-4 fourth and the 481-yard, par-5 12th holes. The senior from Mexico then wrote down three birdies as part of a 77 in the afternoon.
Holzmann, third at the 2020 Maryb S. Kauth Invitational, matched Gonzalez with a 72 in the opening round behind four birdies, two on each side. The junior from San Antonio then added a pair of birdies while turning in a 77 for round two.
Polivchak trails that UTSA pair by one shot, as the senior is in a tie for 12th at 6-over 150. She logged a pair of 3-over 75s with a total of four birdies on the day, three during the afternoon.
Katia Mexsen rounds out the UTSA lineup in a tie for 44th (82-79—161), while Live Hope is in 30th (80-77—157) while competing as an individual.
The final round is slated for an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start on Tuesday.
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