The 2026 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Golf Championship is already putting players to the test, with only seven teams under par at the end of the first round. While trends are emerging, the teams not currently in the mix still have time to make a move tomorrow.
In the morning wave, Oklahoma State came out swinging. They shot 5-under as a team, with junior Ellie Bushnell leading the way at 4-under. Fellow junior Marta Silchenko isn’t far behind after shooting 2-under for the day.
The Cowgirls’ Head Coach Annie Young shares her thoughts on the day with Fairway to Green and how they’re staying refreshed during the long week thanks to some advice from last year’s men’s champions, the Cowboys.
Missouri also had a strong showing in the morning, ultimately being one of the few teams to go under par. Senior Jade Zamora could be seen enjoying her last college tournament, and that fun translated to a 1-under round. The three other scores that counted for Mizzou – Fleur Van Beek, Addie Dobson and Ebba Liljeberg – shot even for the day.
Fairway to Green’s Kelly Okun had the opportunity to chat with Missouri’s Head Coach Caroline Westerup Gaeta, who joined the program four years ago and got them to the NCAA Championship for the first time since their first appearance in 2005.
In the afternoon wave, Southern California’s scorecards showed several birdies on their first nine on the back. The front nine tested them a bit more, but they still shot 7-under to take a one-shot lead over Stanford. Three USC players – Kyle Chong, Bailey Shoemaker and Catherine Park – shot 2-under, with sophomore Jasmine Koo coming in at 1-under.
Stanford’s lead scorer, Megha Ganne, currently sits tied for first individually at 4-under with Oklahoma State’s Bushnell. There’s a 9-way tie for third at 3-under.
The biggest surprise of the day had to be 2023 National Champion Wake Forest’s play. Currently T27, the team shot 12-over in the first round despite a decent start on the back nine. They have two more days to pull themselves into the top 15 before the cut.
2026 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Golf Championship Team Leaderboard
1. Southern California (-7)
2. Stanford (-6)
3. Oklahoma State (-5)
4. Iowa State (-4)
T5. Eastern Michigan (-2)
T5. Arkansas (-2)
7. Missouri (-1)
T8. SMU (E)
T8. LSU (E)
T8. Texas (E)
T11. Baylor (+1)
T11. Texas A&M (+1)
T11. Arizona State (+1)
T11. Virginia (+1)
15. Northwestern (+2)
T16. Tennessee (+3)
T16. Duke (+3)
18. Florida State (+4)
19. North Carolina (+5)
20. Houston (+6)
T21. Texas Tech (+8)
T21. Pepperdine (+8)
T23. Florida (+9)
T23. Ohio State (+9)
T25. Kentucky (+10)
T25. Michigan State (+10)
T27. Wake Forest (+12)
T27. Oregon State (+12)
29. Ole Miss (+13)
30. Auburn (+14)
2026 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Golf Championship Individual Leaderboard
T1. Ellie Bushnell / Oklahoma State (-4)
T1. Megha Ganne / Stanford (-4)
T3. Beth Coulter / Arizona State (-3)
T3. Yurang Li /Baylor (-3)
T3. Kirstin Angosta (Ind.) / TCU (-3)
T3. Elaine Widjaja / Florida (-3)
T3. Farah O’Keefe / Texas (-3)
T3. Thanana Kotchasanmanee (Ind.) / Princeton (-3)
T3. Karisa Chul-Ak-Sorn / Iowa State (-3)
T3. Kyra Van Kan / Tennessee (-3)
Round 2 Tee Times at the 2026 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Golf Championship
The waves will switch places on Saturday, May 23, for the second round of the 2026 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Golf Championship.
First Wave off Hole #1:
6:30am – 7:14am: Stanford, Southern California, Florida
7:25am – 8:09am: Arkansas, Wake Forest, Duke
8:20 – 9:04am: Iowa State, Tennessee Ole Miss
First Wave off Hole #10:
6:52am – 7:36am: Texas A&M, Texas, Auburn
7:47am – 8:31am: Pepperdine, North Carolina, SMU
8:42am: Individuals (Thanana Kotchasanmanee [Princeton], Emma Bunch [New Mexico State], Isabella McCauley [Minnesota])
Second Wave off Hole #1:
11:50pm – 12:34pm: Oklahoma State, Florida State, Arizona State
12:45pm – 1:29pm: Houston, Northwestern, Missouri
1:40pm – 2:24pm: Michigan State, Oregon State, Texas Tech
Second Wave off Hole #10:
12:12pm – 12:56pm: Ohio State, Baylor, Eastern Michigan
1:07pm – 1:51pm: Kentucky, LSU, Virginia
2:02pm: Individuals (Johanna Sjursen [ULM], Sheridan Clancy [Indiana], Kirstin Angosta [TCU])
