UPDATE: UK’s Nielsen cards career low at UCF Challenge

Three Wildcats post under-par rounds as UK sits in second place

UPDATE POSTED 7 P.M. MONDAY, Feb. 7, 2022

ORLANDO, Fla. (UK Athletics) – After carding the best round in school history on the opening day of the UCF Challenge in Orlando, Florida, the Kentucky women’s golf team posted yet another solid performance on the second day behind a career best from Rikke Svejgård Nielsen.

Svejgård Nielsen, who recorded her second-best score as a Wildcat in the first round at the Eagle Creek Golf Club (par 72, 6,349 yards) on Sunday, continued to impress on day two. She fired a 6-under-par 66 for not only a new career best but one of the best rounds in school history.

The fifth-year also rolled in an impressive five straight birdies at the beginning of the back nine en route to carding her best-ever round. Prior to today, her lowest score was 68 set back in 2018 at the Bettie Lou Evans Invitational.

Collectively, Kentucky only took three more strokes than their tournament-opening and record-setting score of 276, but a strong second round from No. 6 Wake Forest pushed them into first place with 18 holes remaining. The Wildcats now trail the Demon Deacons by nine shots but remain ahead of No. 12 Auburn by two and No. 7 Virginia by eight.

“Another solid round by our team today. We held our own and competed hard! They’re playing aggressively and doing a great job of creating opportunities and taking advantage of them,” said head coach Golda Borst. “This is a total group effort and it’s great to see different players go low. We have such a strong team and they are all capable of going low, and it’s just a matter of time before everyone does it on the same day.”

Fueled by her career performance, Svejgård Nielsen jumped from sitting in ninth place to now being tied for second in the individual standings. Joining Nielsen in the No. 2 position is junior Jensen Castle, who carded a 3-under-par 69 on Monday.

Castle, the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, was slightly off her career-matching 66 from the first day of the UCF Challenge. She recorded six birdies for the second day in the row, but three bogeys prevented her from besting her 18-hole low once again.

Three consecutive birdies in the back nine led Laney Frye to a score of 70 (2-under par). The sophomore, who is currently tied for eighth, matched her career best 4-under-par 68 yesterday.

María Villanueva Aperribay had the same score as yesterday at 2-over-par 74, while Marissa Wenzler carded a 3-over-par 75. Both players head into the third and final day tied for 69th.

After posting one of the best rounds of her Wildcat career yesterday at 1-under-par 71, Ryan Bender was unable to find that same rhythm on day two. Playing as an individual, the redshirt junior carded a 6-over-par 78 to enter the tournament finale tied for 76th.

Kentucky is on pace to have one of its best finishes at the UCF Challenge in program history. The Wildcats’ 2022 showing marks their eighth appearance in the tournament since 2011. Kentucky has finished in the top 10 on five occasions during that span, including three times placing in the top five.

Due to inclement weather expected in Orlando tomorrow, tournament officials extended play Monday for players to begin the third round. The Wildcats will return to Eagle Creek at 8:45 a.m. ET to finish the remaining holes on Tuesday.

ORIGINAL STORY POSTED SUNDAY FEB. 6, 2022

ORLANDO, Fla. (UK Athletics) – The best round in school history, two Wildcats matching their career-best scores and four players carding under-par rounds highlighted an impressive opening day for the Kentucky women’s golf team at the UCF Challenge in Orlando, Florida.

Playing at the Eagle Creek Golf Club (par 72, 6,349 yards), the Wildcats posted a team score of 12-under-par 276 for the lowest round in program history. They eclipsed the previous school mark of 277 set in the third round of the Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate on Oct. 9, 2016.

Kentucky also shattered its best team score of the 2021-22 season, surpassing the 282 recorded in the second round of the Mason Rudolph Championship on Sept. 25, 2021.

“What a great start to the tournament! Our whole team has been very calm and confident over these last few weeks and it’s so rewarding to see their hard work pay off,” said head coach Golda Borst. “They are capable of so much, and to see them execute and for the putts to fall today makes my heart so happy.”

The Wildcats’ record-setting round on Sunday also positioned themselves in first place heading into the second day, just one shot ahead of No. 6 Wake Forest. No. 12 Auburn and Miami are tied for third at 279 while NC State and Old Dominion are locked in fifth at 282.

Solidifying herself at the top of the leaderboard heading into the second day was Jensen Castle, who tied her top score as a Wildcat. The junior’s 6-under-par 66 put her a shot ahead of the field and matched her best 18-hole performance, which was first set at the Mason Rudolph Championship in the fall.

Castle also rolled in a team-high six birdies — three on each side — including a pair of two-straight on 9 and 10 as well as 2 and 3. In total, the Wildcats had 25 birdies throughout round one.

Joining Castle by matching their career-best was Laney Frye, who is currently tied for sixth. Frye’s 4-under-par 68 tied her first-round showing at Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational in October and marked the 20th round of par or better in the sophomore’s collegiate career.

Rikke Svejgård Nielsen recorded yet another under-par round for the Wildcats at 69 (3-under-par), good enough to sit in the ninth position heading into day two. It signaled the second-best score of her career and the lowest since 2018. The fifth-year senior also carded four birdies, including three in a four-hole stretch.

Two bogies and one birdie put Marissa Wenzler at 1-over-par 73 to be tied for 51st in the individual standings. María Villanueva Aperribay posted five birdies but was offset by six bogies to finish the first round at 74 (2-over par), heading into day two tied for 66th.

Ryan Bender had an impressive showing as an individual, with her 1-under-par 71 being her second-best round as a Wildcat. The redshirt junior’s score, which is currently tied for 25th, was one better than the 72 she carded last weekend in the first round of the Lady Bulldog Individual Championship.

“We know as a team what we are capable of, and it’s awesome to see them be calm and just play their game,” said Borst. “The sky is the limit for this group. We’re just going to stick to our process and keep playing golf.”

The Wildcats’ 2022 showing marks their eighth appearance in the UCF Challenge since 2011. Kentucky has finished in the top 10 on five occasions during that span, including three times placing in the top five.

Kentucky returns to the Eagle Creek Golf Club for the second round on Monday with a tee time set for 8:45 a.m. ET. Live scoring will continue to be available at Golfstat.com.