LAS VEGAS, Nev. --- The Pacific Lutheran University Women's Golf team wrapped up their first road trip of the Spring 2024 season, playing a two-round event hosted by Oklahoma City University at TPC Summerlin and Paiute Golf Course in Las Vegas, Nevada.
 
The first round of play came at TPC Summerlin on Monday morning. Leading the way in the windy opening round was freshman Abby Matelski. The lone Lute to shoot under the 100 mark. Matelski fired a 96 on the Tournament Players Club course. The DuPont, Wash. native strung together nine straight bogeys, the best such stretch for the Lutes in round one.
 
Senior Emily Fisher trailed close behind Matelski throughout the round and ended with a 101. Also shooting 101 was senior Ariana Warren. Both Warren and Fisher had a team-best four pars in the first round.
 
Ashley Nguyen rounded out the scoring for the Lutes in round one with a 102. The freshman held the second-best front nine score with a 47.
 
Kathleen Pullin finished in the fifth spot for the Lutes on Monday, ending with a 106.
 
Competing as an individual, graduate student Ava Edmonds competed in her first event of the 2023-24 season, shooting a 109 in the opening round.
 
Round two at Paiute Golf Course brought many more pars for the Lutes as they improved their team score from 400 in round one to 365 in round two; the biggest improvement amongst all teams in the field.
 
Fisher got back in the groove on Tuesday, firing the best score of the week for the Lutes, a 13-over 85. The senior had seven pars in the second round and only two holes worse than bogey on the day. Fisher finished the tournament tied for 44^th place along with Matelski who fired a 90 in round two.
 
Freshman Ashley Nguyen finished in the three spot for PLU, shooting a 92 in the second round, good for 49^th place. Nguyen held one of the two birdies for the Lutes in the tournament, coming on the par-5 tenth hole on Tuesday.
 
Ariana Warren rounded out the team score with a 98 in the second round featuring three pars. The senior finished in a tie for 52^nd place. Freshman Kathleen Pullin completed the lineup in the fifth spot with a 107 in the final round, good for 55^th place.
 
As an individual, Edmonds improved with a 95 in her second tournament round of the school year, finishing in 54^th place. The two-sport athlete had the second of two birdies for the Lutes on Tuesday.
 
As a team, the Lutes finished in tenth of ten teams in Las Vegas, earning some essential experience against great NAIA competition.
 
"TPC Summerlin was one of the hardest courses our ladies have played." Said Head Coach Tyler Copp following the first team tournament of the year. "Missing greens was very penal. We fought hard and scores were much, much, higher across the entire field. Our 35-stroke improvement on day two was a result maintaining a great attitude against a high-level NAIA field."
 
"Emily, Abby and Ashley shared some great moments in their final round. This tournament exposed us in some new areas we haven't seen before. I was really proud of how we kept things together under the circumstances."
 
"We welcomed back Ava Edmonds to competition play this weekend. We all enjoyed having her back on the course and around the team! For her to come out and play after 18 months away from golf due to her ACL injury and two basketball seasons shows her love for PLU and her teammates!"
 
The Lutes Women's Golf team will return home to compete in a head-to-head dual against Puget Sound on Saturday, March 2^nd, at Oakbrook Golf Club in Tacoma, Wash.
 
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