Nicole Iniakov of Prunedale, Calif., Iniakov took advantage of the warmest day of the year in San Francisco and was the lone golfer to break 70 at the 2024 San Francisco City Women's Championship at Presidio Golf Course. Iniakov shot 3-under 69 to best the field by two shots.
Iniakov is a junior in high school and is committed to playing collegiate golf, but that announcement will come later. The junior plays out of The Club at Crazy Horse Ranch in Salinas, Calif., and occasionally at Bayonet Black Horse.
Iniakov started on the back nine, birding her first hole, and made three total birdies before making the turn and making two birdies on the front nine coming into the clubhouse.
Taylor Baker of Sacramento, Calif., and Emily Luo of Danville, Calif., finished T2 and two shots back of Iniakov at 1-over. Darla May Dela Torre of Fairfield, Calif., finished in solo fourth place at even par, and Sydney Silva of Castro Valley, Calif., finished in solo fifth place at 1-over.
Iniakov did a little bit of everything in the round, even putting with the pin in the final hole, No. 9, to help pace of play after a ruling on the hole. Pin in or out, she poured in her fifth birdie of the day and finished birdie-birdie on holes Nos. 8 and 9 to get to 3-under.
"My biggest aspiration is to play LPGA, but there are a lot of stepping stones, and I want to have a great summer this year and play in some bigger amateur tournaments and play well in them," Iniakov said. "I am just excited to keep going."
However, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows in the round as she hit a 9-iron to a foot but missed the putt. She also recorded a four-putt in the round.
"It was a lot of up and down today but mostly up, which is always fun," Iniakov said.
In the Senior Division, Christy Atencio of Reno, Nev., finished at the top of the leaderboard at 10-over 82, besting the field by seven shots. Claire Chang of Palo Alto, Calif., finished in solo second place at 17-over, and Lynn Couillard of Irvine, Calif., finished in solo third place at 18-over.
A four-for-two playoff determined the 15th and 16th spots in the Championship Division. Both of the golfers, Allison Yang of Santa Clara, Calif., and Morgan Pittman of Chico, Calif., won with a birdie on the first playoff hole, No. 18.
The 16 players that advanced to the match play portion will play at TPC Harding Park on Saturday. The Julie Inkster flight and the Senior Division will have their first round at Presidio Golf Course on Saturday.