Tir Leads the Big Green on First Day of Columia Classic

Sunday, February 13

Melbourne, Fla. / Duran Golf Club

All Day

Dartmouth College

Columbia Classic

Oct. 10, 2021; New Haven, Connecticut, USA; during the 2021 Yale Women's Tournament at The Course at Yale. Photo by Foley-Photography.

Sophomore Penelope Tir

Photo by: Brian Foley

Tir Leads the Big Green on First Day of Columia Classic

2/13/2022 7:56:00 PM | Women's Golf

Results and Standings

The sophomore tied for the most pars in the 80-player field

By: Rick Bender

MELBOURNE, Fla. — Sophomore Penelope Tir carded a 79-76—155 (+11) at the Duran Golf Club on Sunday, leading the Dartmouth women's golf team on the first day of the Columbia Classic to kick off the spring season. The Big Green finished the first two rounds in 14th place at 63-over par, just one stroke behind Albany with one round remaining tomorrow.

Texas Tech, ranked 30th nationally in a field featuring six top-40 teams, sit atop the standings with a 4-over 580 at the 6,357-yard, par-72 course, two strokes ahead of 26th-ranked Virginia Tech. Illinois (No. 29) is three strokes off the pace and No. 2 Oklahoma State is four strokes back, setting up an exciting showdown for the team title.

The day did not begin well for Tir, starting on the 15th hole in the shotgun start, as she put herself in a hole by taking nine strokes to complete the hole. But she quickly composed herself and went on to make par on 29 of the final 35 holes — including 14 straight to start her second round. Those 29 tied her for the most by any of the 80 entrants as she wrapped up the day tied for 48th.

Freshman Claire Xu matched Tir for the team's best round of the day with a 76 (+4) over the first 18 with 13 pars and a birdie on the 490-yard par-5 ninth. She added 13 more pars on her second tour but finished with an 8-over 80 to finish her day one stroke behind Tir in a tie for 51st at 12-over par.

Competing in her first college tournament in two years was senior Kristen Chen, who boasted a pair of birdies in her first round. By the end of the day, she was tied for 71st with a 163 (+19), while sophomore Katherine Sung (who had a birdie in each round) was two strokes behind her in a tie for 74th.

Virginia Tech's Emily Mahar will take a one-stroke lead into the final round tomorrow ahead of a trio of players after shooting 69-72-141 (-3).

Dartmouth will be paired with Albany and some of the individuals in the field for the third round tomorrow, with the shotgun start starting at 8:30 a.m.