Stanford, CA. - Abbey Schutte of Goodyear, Arizona, leads the Fortinet Girls Invitational at Stanford after day one with a score of 3-under-par 68.
The Fortinet Girls Invitational at Stanford marks the eight time Stanford Golf Course has hosted an AJGA tournament and the first year that the all-girls invitational will be sponsored by Fortinet. The field showcases the best female junior golfers from around the world with 11 players being in the top-25 Rolex AJGA Rankings.
The University of Arkansas letter of intent signee opened the day with a birdie on No. 1 and went bogey-free on the front nine making the turn at 1-under-par 34. Birdies on hole Nos. 12 and 14 further secured her lead. A bogey on No. 15 set Schutte back a stroke, but she bounced back with a birdie on No. 16 to finish the day at 3-under-par 68.
Schutte is looking for her first AJGA and invitational win this week. Her best previous finish came in 2022, solo third at the Accenture NW Arkansas Junior.
Yurang Li of Fullerton, California, Lisa Herman of Jenks, Oklahoma, Jaclyn LaHa of Pleasanton, California, and Kiara Romero of San Jose, California, share second place at 2-under-par 69.
Li, who started on the back nine, started the day on a tough break. She went bogey-bogey on Nos. 10 and 11. Another bogey on No. 16 set her back to 3-over. She closed her front-nine with a birdie on No. 18 to move to 2-over-par 38. Li turned her day around on the front nine birdieing four holes and carding no bogies. Li is a verbal commit to the University of Illinois and looking for her first win this week.
Herman on her way to her 2-under-par 69, went bogey free on the front nine with two birdies on Nos. 2 and 6. A bogey on No. 10 dropped her a shot, but she got it back with a birdie on No. 13. Herman is currently No. 79 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
University of Virginia letter of intent signee, LaHa birdied Nos. 6, 7, and 13 going bogey free until a closing bogey on No. 18. She won her first invitational in 2022 at the Under Armour / Albane Valenzuela Girls Invitational at Longbow Golf Club.
Rounding out the group tied for second, Northern California native Romero also opened the round bogey free. A bogey on No. 10 followed by quick birdies on Nos. 11 and 12 put her at 3-under heading to the last 6 holes. A bogey on No. 18 finished her day at 2-under-par 69. Romero is looking for her second invitational win after taking home the 2022 Polo Golf Junior Classic at Liberty National.
The second round will take place at Stanford Golf Course on Sunday, February 19, off Nos. 1 and 10 tees from 8:30 to 10:20 a.m. PT.
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