Cold + wind + rain = high scores at the NCAA Women's Championship

SUGAR GROVE, IL (May 19, 2017) - Cold temperatures combined with wind and rain sent scores soaring at the Women's NCAA Championship at Rich Harvest Farms.

Temperatures never got out of the 40s all day, as players bundled up in their cold and wet weather gear.

An already difficult course proved almost unmanageable in the tough conditions, with some of the nation's best college players and teams shooting their highest scores of the year.

The #2 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide shot a 40-over 328 and sits 21st out of 24 teams. #5 Florida is in 16th after a 320. #6 Florida State shot a 325 and is in 20th. 7th-ranked Duke shot a 324 and is in 19th. #8 Furman is 18th with a 323.

For the field, there were almost twice as many doubles and others as there were birdies. Florida State, Clemson, and Duke only had 1 birdie as a team.

But the luck of the draw was with Northwestern and Kent State. Playing in the final groups of the day, the conditions eased just enough to allow them to shoot 12-over 300 and 15-over 303, respectively, which put them eight shots clear of the rest of the field. Ohio State, Arizona State, Stanford, and Baylor are all tied for third at 311.

Northwestern was the only team in the field to have all five players break 80, led by Janet Mao with a 73. Hannah Kim (75), Stephanie Lau (75), Kacie Komoto (78) and Sarah Cho (78) rounded out the scorers for the Wildcats.

Individually, the rounds of the day were turned in by August Kim of Purdue and Elodie Van Dievoet of Michigan, each shooting even-par 72. Karoline Stormo of Kent State shot a 73 to join Mao in a tie for third.

Leona Maguire of Duke, currently the #2 ranked player in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Women's World Rankings, shot a 77 and sits tied 19th. World #3 Jennifer Kupcho of Wake Forest shot a 74 late in the day and is tied for 5th. 4th ranked Katelyn Dambaugh of South Carolina is tied for 57th after an 80, and 5th ranked Andrea Lee of Stanford is tied with Maguire at 19th after a 77.

More rain and wind is scheduled for Saturday, before clearing out but with a stiff breeze on Sunday. Monday might be the only scoreable day of the championship with sunny skies and a soft course with receptive greens.