Golfers Second Of 11 After 36 Holes At Eastern Michigan

Monday, October 4

Ypsilanti, Mich. / Eagle Crest GC

9 a.m.

Central Michigan University

Shirley Spork Invitational

Photo by: Andy Sneddon

10/4/2021 9:02:00 PM | Women's Golf

By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Central Michigan golf team shot 596 on Monday and stands in second place after the first two rounds of the Shirley Spork EMU Invitational at Eagle Crest Golf Club.

The Chippewas are nine shots behind host Eastern Michigan (587) and eight ahead of third-place Akron (604). CMU opened with a 297 and followed with a 299 in the afternoon round. CMU's 596 is the third-best 36-hole score since the program's resurrection in 2014-15.

The third and final round of the 11-team event is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday. CMU is vying for its third consecutive victory to open the 2021-22 season.

"We're not out of this at all," CMU coach Jim Earle said. "Nine strokes, that's not the end of the world. We haven't taken a real low score yet (this season). If we get a couple (players) to go low and put some good numbers up, anything can happen. We're going to give it everything we've got and add them up at the end and see what happens."

Zoe Vartyan and Casilda Allendesalazar led the Chippewas on Monday.

Vartyan, a sophomore, opened with an even-par 72 and then followed with a 75 for a 36-hole 147 total. Allendesalazar, a freshman playing in just her third collegiate event, shot 74-74–148.

Vartyan is tied for fourth at 3-over, seven shots behind leader Alissa Fish of Western Michigan. Fish stands at 4-under after posting scores of 69-71 for a 140 total. She is the only player in the 69-player field who is under par.

Vartyan posted a tournament-best nine birdies over her 36 holes on Monday. She stood at 2-under with six holes to play on her second round, but a double bogey and then an eight on the par-3 fifth hole cost her. Still, she recovered to birdie her final hole and come in at 3-over.

"That's a really good day," Earle said. "Zoe does a lot of things well. She's got a great short game and I think it's really underestimated how good of a putter she is. She can really putt the golf ball and she makes a lot of longer putts. If she hits a few more greens and stays away from the big number, Zoe's capable of posting a really low score."

Allendesalazar, who last week shared medalist honors with teammate Padgett Chitty at the Oakland Golden Grizzlies Invitational in Rochester, is among a group tied for seventh at 4-over.

The long-hitting Allendesalazar has proven to be steady and consistent. In five of her seven rounds as a Chippewa, she has carded a 74 or better. She has a win and a tie for fourth place in her two complete tournaments.

"The way the course is set up it sort of takes the driver out of Cas's hands more often than not," Earle said. "So it really doesn't play to her strength and that's (about) just how far she moves the golf ball and how well she hits it. She's a dynamite player and she's only going to get better."

CMU sophomore Mackenzie Baustad, playing as an individual, shot 74-75—149 and is tied for 10^th. Her first-round 74 tied her career best.

"Kenzie's a big part of the future of this program, there's no doubt about it," Earle said. "She has all the tools, and she just hasn't been able to break the lineup as of yet. But if she continues to play this well, she's going to get in there for sure. It's just a matter of time. She can hit the ball as well as anybody and to shoot those two scores, that's some good golf."

Also for the Chippewas, Claudia Salvador shot 76-74—150 and is tied for 14^th, Chitty shot 75-76—151 and is tied for 16^th, and Ashley Goh carded a 154 total (78-76) and is tied for 24^th. CMU's Rachel Kauflin, playing as an individual, is among the group tied for 24^th after shooting 78-76—154; CMU's Ashley Liles, also playing as an individual, shot 81-85—166.

Salvador stood at 5-over with three holes to play in the second round, and then surged home with three consecutive birdies.

"Claudia had been having some really good rounds and not finishing well and that's pretty amazing stuff to really turn that around and finish with three straight birdies," Earle said. "That really propelled us into having a shot going into tomorrow."