NEW ORLEANS, La. – Two Mustangs are in the top-25 after the first round of play at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate. Ashley Chow and Kennedy Pedigo each shot 77 in the opening round at English Turn Golf and Country Club.
 
Chow is coming off of her first career top-25 finish at the Maryb S. Kauth Invitational, and started steady with seven straight pars on a day where just one player, tournament leader Kate Smith of Nebraska, finished below par. Chow is tied for 25^th on the bunched leaderboard at +5, one stroke off the tie for 13^th, and six strokes behind Smith's -1.
 
Pedigo, who had a career-best solo-fourth finish last week, joins Chow in the tie for 25^th. Pedigo was +1 through 14 holes before finishing at +5. Pedigo is looking for her fourth consecutive top-25 finish.
 
As a team, SMU is tied for 10^th with Wisconsin and McNeese State at +26. With 36 holes to play, only six strokes separate the tie for fifth and 10^th. Nebraska leads the tournament at +6.
 
"We let it get away from us over the last five holes," head coach Jeanne Sutherland said of a round where the Mustangs were just +8 on the front nine. "We had a lot of good play to start the day, and we just weren't able to finish down the stretch."
 
Serena Shah had a pair of birdies on the front nine and was even at the turn, but finished the day tied for 49^th at +8. Shah tied for third at this event in 2020. Katie James joined Shah in the tie for 49^th, with her day highlighted by a birdie on the 382-yard par 4 10^th.
 
Lauren Chappell was the only player in the field to record an eagle Sunday, posting a 3 on the 476-yard par-5 6^th. Chappell finished her day at the par 72 / 6,280-yard track tied for 60^th at +9. Competing as an individual, Maddi Olson is tied for 79^th at +17.  
 
The second round begins Monday with tee times starting at 9 a.m.