PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa women's golf team played the first round of the Southern Colorado Open on Sunday (Mr. 23) afternoon at Walking Stick Golf Course near the campus of CSU Pueblo.
 
The Mavericks are in contention for a top-5 team finish after firing a 14-over, 302 to finish the first round in a tie for fourth place on the leaderboard. They are tied with RMAC foe Colorado Christian and are just two strokes behind third place and host CSU Pueblo. They are four strokes behind second place Simon Fraser who shot a 10-over, 298.
 
No. 5 ranked NJCAA school New Mexico Junior College leads the tournament at 6-over, 294.
 
Seniors Brittlynn O'Dell and Cassidy Phelan shot matching 2-over, 74s in their first rounds. O'Dell finished her round with three birdies with those coming on holes 13, 17 and No. 5 which wound up being her third to last hole of the day. After starting the round 2-over after four holes, she got things back to even after her birdie on No. 17.
 
Phelan started her day like her teammate with back-to-back bogeys on her first two holes but got things even after birdies on No. 13 and No. 15. The Henderson, Nev. native doubled No. 17 then immediately birdied the next hole before closing her final six holes at 1-over.
 
Payton Panzeri shot 4-over, 76 while freshman Hunter Gledhill finished at 6-over, 78.
 
University of Colorado's Fracesca Sumcad, playing as an individual, leads the tournament at 4-under, 68.
 
Tomorrow's second and final round will begin at 10am.