SAN MARCOS, Texas — Morgan Ellison is in the top 25 and the UTSA women’s golf team is in 10th place after the opening day of the Jim West Challenge, which teed off Sunday at Kissing Tree Golf Club (par 72/6,123 yards).
Ellison is tied for 23rd at even par and the Roadrunners are in sole possession of 10th with a 597 (300-297) through the first 36 holes of their final fall event.
Ellison posted a pair of 72s on Sunday to lead the way for UTSA. The senior from Peachtree City, Georgia, wrote down three birdies in her opening round with a three on the 311-yard, par-4 first and back-to-back on Nos. 10-11. She matched her first-round score with an even-par round in the afternoon, logging four birdies. She had a four on both the 493-yard third and 486-yard fifth on the front, as well as a three on the 328-yard 10th and a four on the 473-yard fifth on the back.
Meanwhile, UTSA is 15 shots ahead of Northern Illinois and 23 in front of Nebraska in the team standings with 18 holes left to play.
Daniela Abonce is two shots behind Ellison in a tie for 30th at 2-over 146. The junior from Mexico turned in a 73 in both rounds with a birdie on No. 1 highlighting her morning before registering six birdies in the afternoon, three on each side of the course.
Maria Bastarrica is tied in 52nd at 9-over 153 (77-76), while Olivia Williams is one shot behind in 53rd at 10-over 154 (78-76). Sydney Bisgrove rounds out the lineup in 68th (95-86—181).
No. 26 Houston has the 36-hole lead at 14-under par, followed by No. 23 TCU (-14) and Oklahoma (-11).
Oklahoma’s MaKayla Tyrrell is the individual leader at 8-under 136 (66-70).
The final round is set for an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start on Monday. ESPN+ will broadcast action with Brant Freeman (play-by-play) and Victoria Heim (analyst) on the call beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Monday. An ESPN+ subscription is required.
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