BEAUMONT, Texas-  McNeese women's golf team sits in a seventh-place tie with UT-Rio Grande Valley after posting a team total of 630 on day 1 of the 2021 Lamar Cardinal Challenge. The tournament will conclude with 18 holes on Tuesday.
 
The Cowgirls opened tournament play with a 321 in the first round then followed that with a 12-shot improvement to post a 309 in the second round.
 
Sam Houston leads the tournament with a 588 after rounds of 300 and 288. Southern Miss is in second place (609, followed by UL-Monroe in third place (610). Host Lamar is in fourth place (614) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi rounds out the Top 5 with a 618. Houston Baptist is in sixth place (627), Dixie State is in a ninth place with a 631. UT-Arlington is in 10^th place (648) and Prairie View is in 11^th place (701).
 
Anika Hovda and Maria Garcia led the Cowgirls on the day with 157's, both players are tied for 27^th in the individual standings. Hovda opened the tournament with an 82 then bounced back with a 75 in the second round. Garcia posted an opening round of 77 then ended with a second round of 80. Carolina Rotzinger and Amy Ng are tied for 36^th place with 158's. Rotzinger shot a first round 82 and a 76 in the second round. Ng opened the tournament with an 80 in the first round then ended her day with a second round 78. Bethany Reid is tied for 59^th place with a 169 (86-83) and Valerie Routzong who is playing as an individual is tied for 52^nd place with a 164 (83-81).
 
Sam Houston's Viera Permata Rosada and Texas State's Sasikarn Somboonsup are the individual co-leaders after posting 143's on the day. Rosada shot opened her day with a 73, then shot a 2-under par second round for her 143. Somboonsup shot a 1-under par 71 in the opening round and even par 72 in the second round.