Oregon Women's Golf Team Take Second Place at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate

LAKE ELMO, Minnesota — The Oregon Ducks women’s golf team rose on the final day of competition two spots at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate tournament to take second place at the Royal Golf Club in Minnesota on Wednesday, September 11.

South Carolina ran away with the tournament finishing at -31 under par.

The Ducks are chasing another exceptional season after reaching the NCAA Championships' semifinals this past spring.

In the 2021-22 season, Oregon took runner-up at the NCAA Championships after winning the Pac-12 and NCAA Regional titles.

The event is named after Annika Sorenstam who is in the World Golf Hall of Fame and won 72 times on the LPGA Tour including 10 major wins.

Overall the team was -7 under on the day with a 281, and had four individuals finishing in the top 20 of the event.

Sophomores Kiara Romero (68) and Karen Tsuru (69) both shot sub-70 in the final round, and freshman Suvichaya Vinijchaitham was right behind with a 2-under 70 as Oregon posted the third-lowest round of the day.

"Really proud of the way our team came out and performed in this first tournament of the season," Oregon women’s golf head coach Derek Radley said. "To finish second in this field with two freshmen and two sophomores in our lineup is a testament to the talent we have on this roster and the preparation these ladies have put in all summer long. This was a great start for us and we're excited to get back to work and continue to get better as we move through the fall."

This is Radley’s sixth season as head coach of the Ducks where he has had a high level of success.

Krissy Karman is in her first year as an assistant coach and has extensive experience playing collegiate and amateur golf. She graduated from Portland State in 2017 while also playing at Oregon State and won the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur in 2022.

The Ducks entered the final round two strokes behind Duke for third place and five strokes back of Wake Forest for second. Oregon's four counting scorers combined to shoot 1 over on the front nine on Wednesday, but then caught fire with an 8-under par showing on the back nine to jump both the Blue Devils and Demon Deacons and secure second place at 4-under par overall.

Sophomore Kiara Romero from San Jose, California provided the biggest boost on the back nine. After making the turn at 1 over, the 2023-24 first-team all-American rattled off five birdies with no bogeys on the back nine to post Oregon's low round of the day with a 4-under 68.

Romero earned co-medalist honors last year at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate.

Oregon will continue action in the Fall season at the Windy City Classic in Wilmette, Ill., beginning on Sept. 30.