Ducks Return To Action At Molly Collegiate Invitational

SEASIDE, Calif. - After an impressive start to the 2023-24 season earlier this month at the Annika Intercollegiate, the Oregon women's golf team will return to action on Monday for the first of two days of competition at the Molly Collegiate Invitational.

The Ducks - ranked No. 2 nationally in the latest Golfweek poll - finished as the runner-up at the Annika Intercollegiate behind a stellar collegiate debut by Kiara Romero. The true freshman shot 8-under par for the week to tie as the individual medalist, earning Pac-12 Golfer of the Week honors.

Oregon will play at the Molly Collegiate Invitational for the second time, and first since finishing second in the fall of 2019. The tournament will start with a 36-hole day on Monday before finishing with the final 18 holes on Tuesday.

The Molly Collegiate Invitational
Dates: Monday, Sept. 25 - Tuesday, Sept. 26
Location: Seaside, Calif.
Course: Bayonet Golf Course
Par/Yards: 72/6,128
Format: 54 holes of stroke play; 36 holes on Monday, 18 holes on Tuesday

How To Follow
Live scoring for the Molly Collegiate Invitational will be available at Golfstat.com. Live updates will be provided throughout the tournament on Twitter at @OregonWGolf.

LIVE SCORING LINK

The Field
California, Delaware, Georgia Southern, Kansas, Maryland, Oregon, Oregon State, Rutgers, San Jose State, UC Irvine, Washington State

Teeing Off For The Ducks
1. Kiara Romero
2. Minori Nagano
3. Ashleigh Park
4. Briana Chacon
5. Anika Varma
Ind. Ching-Tzu Chen

Numbers To Know
-26 - Oregon was 26-under par on par-5 holes at the Annika Intercollegiate, best in the field by six strokes.
7 - Oregon has won seven tournaments under head coach Derek Radley, all coming since the spring of 2021.
38 - Kiara Romero claimed the 38th individual win in program history in her collegiate debut at the Annika Intercollegiate.
282 - Briana Chacon is tied for No. 7 in Oregon history with 282 career birdies, and Ching-Tzu Chen is No. 9 with 264.

Romero Dazzles In Collegiate Debut
Oregon's 2023-24 season opener was headlined by true freshman Kiara Romero, who finished as the co-champion in her collegiate debut while leading the Ducks to a runner-up finish. Romero fired a stellar 5-under 67 in her first round as a Duck, and followed that up with a 1-under 71 and 2-under 70 to tie as the individual medalist at 8-under par. Romero was second in the field with 15 total birdies and made just seven bogeys, including zero in her terrific opening round. The Ducks put together a phenomenal finish in the final round to jump past defending NCAA champion Wake Forest and place second, shooting a combined 13-under par over the final five holes. Oregon was 6-under par on the 18th hole alone in round three, fueled by eagles from both Briana Chacon and Minori Nagano. Chacon earned a top-five finish in a tie for fifth at 7-under par, Nagano tied for 15th at 5 under, and Ashleigh Park gave the Ducks four players in the top 20 in a tie for 18th at 2 under.

Radley Hires Krissy Carman As Assistant Coach
With Monica Vaughn moving into a volunteer role with the Ducks and taking on a new opportunity with the Oregon Golf Association, Derek Radley announced the hiring of Krissy Carman as the Ducks' new assistant coach. An Oregon native and graduate from Portland State, Carman was the 2022 USGA Mid-Amateur Champion and competed over the summer as the U.S. Women's Open and the U.S. Women's Amateur.

Chacon, Chen Return For Fifth Season
Oregon is led in 2023-24 by a pair of incredibly accomplished Ducks, as both Briana Chacon and Ching-Tzu Chen opted to return for a fifth season. Chacon and Chen helped lead Oregon to the Pac-12 title and national runner-up finish in 2021-22, and have combined to play 208 rounds of golf for the Ducks. Chacon is a two-time WGCA all-American who ranked second among Ducks last season with a 73.12 scoring average, and she led the team with 13 rounds of par-or-better. Chacon closed the 2022-23 season with six consecutive par-or-better rounds, including three straight 1-under 71s at the NCAA Westfield Regional. Chen maintained a 74.50 scoring average in 2022-23, headlined by a runner-up finish at the Therese Hession Regional Challenge that earned her a sponsor exemption to the LPGA DIO Impant LA Open.

Radley, Park Lead Team USA To Palmer Cup Victory
A summer filled with championship opportunities for the Ducks began with head coach Derek Radley and senior Ashleigh Park winning the Arnold Palmer Cup with Team USA. Radley served as the women's head coach, while Park's terrific first season in Eugene earned her a spot on the USA roster. Radley, Park and Team USA put together a dominant performance in the second-to-last round before holding off a comeback attempt from Team International to claim the title.

Romero Wins 2023 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship
The top-ranked recruit in the class of 2023, freshman Kiara Romero stole national headlines over the summer by winning the 2023 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship. Romero shot 4-under par to finish third in stroke play before going 6-0 in match play to win the title, outlasting Rianne Malixi in an epic 36-hole battle in the finals. Romero showed composure beyond her years in the nationally-televised final, and immediately finds herself in Oregon's starting five to kick off her collegiate career. Romero enters 2023-24 at No. 79 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Chacon Makes History at U.S. Women's Amateur
Briana Chacon put together a record-breaking performance at the U.S. Women's Amateur over the summer, setting the tournament scoring record with an unbelievable 9-under 131 in two rounds to claim individual medalist honors. Chacon advanced to match play along with Ching-Tzu Chen and Kiara Romero, and the two-time all-American won her opening match to advance to the Round of 32.