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Leina makes her move in NCAA II regionals
Saipan native Leina Kim made a huge jump in the standings after firing a tournament-low 4-under 68 in Tuesday’s second round of the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf West Region Tournament at the Foxtail Golf Club in Rohnert Park in California.
Leina Kim aims to keep her amazing comeback in the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf West Region Tournament in order to clinch one of the three berths to the Nationals set from May 13 to 16 at the Meadows Golf Course. (CSU-Pueblo)
Kim’s 68, according to the CSU-Pueblo website, and her opening day score of 5-over 77 gave her a 1-over 145 that put her in contention for one of the three spots for the Division II Nationals.
The Top 3 finishers in the regional tournament would earn a berth to the Nationals set from May 13 to 16 at the Meadows Golf Course to be hosted by Grand Valley State in Allendale, Michigan.
She jumped 22 places after sitting at 25th in Day 1, but is now tied for third place with Tarleton State’s Isabell Jimenez Perea, who carded a 1-under 71 that was added to her 2-over 72 for that 145.
Kim and Perea are one shot behind co-leaders Sarah Rotter of Sonoma State and Academy of Art’s Crystal Wang, who both had a two-day haul of 144.
Wang, after an opening round 3-under 69, fired a 3-over 75 that allowed Rotter, who fired a 2-over 73, to catch her atop the leaderboard.
Kim birdied her first three holes that lowered her score to 2-over par then bogeyed No. 4. She followed that up with pars from holes No. 5 to 9 to go at 2-under at the front. She had an overall score of 2-over par entering the back nine.
Kim then played bogey-free at the back where she pared No. 10 to 14 to keep her 2-under score. She continued her amazing climb after firing consecutive birdies in No. 15 and 16.
She ended her solid performance with pars in the last two holes for that 4-under 68, the best score in the second round as she was the lone player to shoot below 70.
Kim, after the first 36 holes, had the second most birdies with six and sixth with the most pars with 22.
Kim is also tied for fifth in both par-four and par-five scoring with 4.10 and 4.88, respectively, and tied for ninth in par threes with 3.00.
