PINEHURST, N.C. – Charleston Southern senior Hayley McNeill is at level par and tied for 20th place through 36 holes at the Pinehurst Challenge. CSU stands 18th as a team entering Tuesday's final round at famed Pinehurst No. 1.
East Carolina is atop the leaderboard at -10, one shot in front of Coastal Carolina, five ahead of Maryland and seven clear of Old Dominion. The Pirates carded an impressive 11-under par second round to take the clubhouse lead in the field of 19 teams. Coastal's Malene Krolboll Hansen is pacing the 100-player field at -9. Jacksonville State's Valentina Giraldo is one back, and six others are within five strokes of the lead.
CSU was in 14th place following a solid eight-over 296 opening round but slipped back four spots in the afternoon. The Bucs are ahead of UAB and just two shots behind Presbyterian and William & Mary.
McNeill, coming off a fourth-place finish at the Jacksonville Classic, continued her excellent play on Monday. The senior fired a first round two-under par 70 and was within two shots of the lead entering her second 18. McNeill bogeyed No. 11 – her first hole of the day – but followed with birdies at the 12th and 13th and was -4 over a 15-hole stretch before another bogey at No. 8. The Australian was two-over on the back nine in her second round but played the front in even par behind birdies at No.'s 1 and 2.
Fellow CSU senior Milleina Ohara (T-27th) also put up a solid day one for coach Matt Cram-Smith's squad. She fired the best round of her career with a second round two-under par 70 that featured three birdies and just one bogey. Ohara entered the second round with momentum after playing her final four holes of round one at -1.
Emelie Flink (T-73rd), Andriel Aimua (T-90th) and Xuss Boira (98th) completed the lineup for CSU. Flink had one of the best rounds of her season in the morning, compiling an even-par 72 behind a one-under back nine.
CSU is slated to play alongside UAB and Presbyterian in Tuesday's final round, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
