HENDERSON, Nev. – Lauren Gomez of Pepperdine opened the 2022 West Coast Conference Women’s Golf Championship shooting a 2-under 70 on Thursday at Reflection Bay Golf Club, taking an early round-one lead. She was the only golfer to garner an eagle and shoot under par in the first round.
 
All 25 golfers were forced to deal with gusty winds that picked up over the course of the afternoon, presenting challenges for all five teams.
 
Gomez helped Pepperdine jump out to a four-shot lead over BYU, shooting 11-over 299. The Cougars sit in second at 15-over 303.
 
After Gomez, four golfers are tied in second at 2-over 75 – BYU’s Annick Haczkiewicz and Allysha Mae Mateo, along with Santa Clara’s Borina Sutikto and San Francisco’s Toni Sottile. BYU, Pepperdine and San Francisco each finished with three golfers in the top 11 of the standings. Among those currently standing in the top 11 is USF’s Riana Mission, the WCC’s second-highest ranked player on GolfStat (No. 96) after Gomez (No. 67).
 
BYU collected 12 birdies, paced by four from Mateo. Individually, the Cougar tied for the most birdies on the day with Santa Clara’s Lauren Shew. USF ranked second among the five teams with nine birdies.
 
The WCC Women’s Golf Championship continues tomorrow and concludes on Saturday from the Reflection Bay Golf Club.
 
Team Standings: 1. Pepperdine 299; 2. BYU 303; 3. San Francisco 305; 4. Santa Clara 309; 5. Gonzaga 324.
 
Individual Leaders: 1. Lauren Gomez (Pepperdine) 70, T2. Allysha Mae Mateo (BYU) 75; T2. Annick Haczkiewicz (BYU) 75, T2. Borina Sutikto (Santa Clara) 75, Toni Sottile (San Francisco) 75
 
Friday Tee Times (Off No. 1)
Starting at 7:00 a.m.: 5. Gonzaga, 4. Santa Clara
Starting at 7:50 a.m.: 3. San Francisco, 2. BYU, 1. Pepperdine