Oregon moves to the top at the Northrop Grumman Challenge
3/14/2022 | by Jim Young of AmateurGolf.com
see also: View results for Northrop Grumman Challenge, Palos Verdes Golf Club
Second-ranked Ducks take on stroke lead over Virginia into Tuesday's final round at Palos Verdes Golf Club
Ranked third nationally in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings and as high as second in other polls, the Oregon Ducks came into the Northrop Grumman Challenge as the highest-ranked team in a heavyweight field.
After 36-holes, the Ducks are in a strong position to win their third tournament of the season but will have to hold off two other top-five teams in No. 8 Virginia, led by former Oregon head coach Ria Scott and No. 5 Wake Forest.
Four of Oregon's five players shot under par on Monday to compile the 5-under 279 and at 2-under 566, the Ducks lead Virginia by a single stroke and are six shots clear of Wake Forest. Arizona State is nine back at 7-over while first-round leader Kent State dropped to fifth at 8-over 576.
Junior Ching-Tzu Chen carded a bogey-free 69 while the trio of Tze-Han (Heather) Lin, Hsin-Yu (Cynthia) Lu and Sofie Kibsgaard Nielsen all fired 1-under rounds of 70 to round out Oregon's counting scores.
Lu and Nielsen are tied for seventh at 1-under par overall, seven strokes behind 36-hole leader Rachel Kuehn of Wake Forest who carded a second consecutive 67 on Monday to move to 8-under 134. She enjoys a three-stroke lead over a trio of Virginia players in Beth Lillie, Jennifer Cleary and Riley Smyth, along with Carolina Melgrati of Arizona and Auburn's Julie McCarthy, who is playing as an individual.
Tuesday's final round will begin with a shotgun start at 8:00 a.m. PT. Oregon will be paired with Virginia, Wake Forest and Arizona State.
After 36-holes, the Ducks are in a strong position to win their third tournament of the season but will have to hold off two other top-five teams in No. 8 Virginia, led by former Oregon head coach Ria Scott and No. 5 Wake Forest.
Junior Ching-Tzu Chen carded a bogey-free 69 while the trio of Tze-Han (Heather) Lin, Hsin-Yu (Cynthia) Lu and Sofie Kibsgaard Nielsen all fired 1-under rounds of 70 to round out Oregon's counting scores.
Lu and Nielsen are tied for seventh at 1-under par overall, seven strokes behind 36-hole leader Rachel Kuehn of Wake Forest who carded a second consecutive 67 on Monday to move to 8-under 134. She enjoys a three-stroke lead over a trio of Virginia players in Beth Lillie, Jennifer Cleary and Riley Smyth, along with Carolina Melgrati of Arizona and Auburn's Julie McCarthy, who is playing as an individual.
Tuesday's final round will begin with a shotgun start at 8:00 a.m. PT. Oregon will be paired with Virginia, Wake Forest and Arizona State.
Results: Northrop Grumman Challenge
| Place | Player | Location | Pts | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asheville, NC | 800 | 67-67-69=203 | |
| 2 | Fullerton, CA | 500 | 71-69-68=208 | |
| 3 | , Germany | 400 | 75-67-67=209 | |
| T4 | , Chinese Taipei | 400 | 71-70-71=212 | |
| T4 | , Denmark | 400 | 71-70-71=212 |
About the Northrop Grumman Challenge
Women's college tournament started in 1996 as a way to kick off the Spring season. Team (best four scores out of five players) and individual competitions.
Most Popular Articles
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced
Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing
2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage FINAL SCORING
Dec 8, 2025Helen Briem earns medalist honors, 31 players headed to the LPGA next year
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Final Stage: Ewart Leads Five New TOUR Card Winners
Dec 14, 2025A.J. Ewart topped Final Stage at TPC Sawgrass, leading five players who secured PGA TOUR membership for 2026.
Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch
Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory
Inside Gil Hanse’s Restoration of Baltusrol’s Upper Course: A Return to Tillinghast’s
Dec 11, 2025Renowned architect Gil Hanse reveals how he brought Baltusrol’s Upper Course back to life by honoring A.W. Tillinghast’s original