Cheng Wins First Tournament of 2023-24, Athenas Golf Takes Second

Tournament Scoring

VENTURA, Calif. - Stella Cheng of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's golf team shot in the red for the second day in a row to finish -6 and take first place at the California State Intercollegiate Tournament, while the Athenas finished in second place in the team standings at Olivas Links Golf Club on Tuesday.

Cheng, Esther Lee and Reina Tain all matched the CMS program record with a 67 on the opening day on Monday. The course played tougher in the second round on Tuesday, as only six players in the entire field came in under par (compared to 13 in the first round), but Cheng was one of the six, coming in with a 71 (-1) to take individual medalist honors by one stroke. 

Also shooting in the red on both days was first-year Jessie Kong, who carded a 69 and a 71 in her first two collegiate rounds of her career, ending the tournament at -4 to come in third place. Lee finished in a tie for sixth at -2, giving the Athenas three top-10 finishers. 

As a team, CMS ended up in the red with a -1, including a program record -8 for 18 holes on Monday. Pomona-Pitzer was able to take the team title at -11, while Redlands was third at +7 and Chapman fourth at +26 in the 10-team field. 

Cheng had a steady round for the Athenas, tallying three birdies and 13 pars, picking up birdies on the 17th and 18th (after starting on No. 4) to take the lead. Kong, meanwhile, finished with a flourish, starting out early with bogeys on No. 6 and No. 7, but then picking up a stroke on No. 18 and adding birdies in the closing stretch on No. 3 and No. 4. 

CMS will be back in action on Friday, Sept. 29 for a dual with Vanguard at El Dorado Golf Club in Long Beach.