ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – It was an eventful day for the #15 Pepperdine women's golf team at the par-72 UNM Championship Course on Monday, and after facing winds and rain in the morning, the Waves battled back for a record-setting second round to finish the day in first-place at the Branch Law Firm Dick McGuire Invitational.
 
Pepperdine began in rough conditions early in the morning, dropping to tie for 15^th after shooting 11-over to start the first round.  The Waves started to rally shortly after the first turn, however, and an eagle from Kaleiya Romero on the sixth hole and a pair of birdies from each Lion Higo and Lauren Gomez helped the team start to inch forward.  Pepperdine closed the round 4-over 292 and in second place.
 
The Waves kept the momentum going early in the second round with another eagle, this time from Higo on the fourth hole, along with three birdies from Gomez and a pair from Romero pushed the squad into first.  Though it was on the back nine that Pepperdine started firing on all cylinders.  With 18 birdies across all five players including five on nine perfect holes from Jeneath Wong, five from Romero and four from each Higo and Gomez, the Waves ended the round with an 18-under 270. 
 
The 18-under second round score ties the program record for lowest 18-hole score in program history.  The last time the Waves accomplished the feat was in 2008 at Boulder Creek Golf Course in Nevada during the second round of the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown.  Additionally, Pepperdine's 36-hole score of 14-under 562 ranks third in the record books. 
 
Heading into the final round tomorrow morning, Pepperdine is 14-under overall and holds the lead comfortably by an 11-stroke margin over Arizona State.  Gomez is in second-place to lead the Waves and is only one-shot away from the lead, while Romero and Higo are both tied for ninth as well.  
 
PLAYER SCORES

• Junior Lauren Gomez (Murrieta, Calif.) is in 2^nd to lead the Waves after shooting 7-under 137 (71-66).  Her 6-under 66 in the second round is a career-best.  She amassed 11 birdies throughout the day, including seven in the second round – all of which were tallied in her last 15 holes without a bogey.
• Senior Kaleiya Romero (San Jose, Calif.) is tied for 9^th with a two-round score of 141 (73-68).  She tabbed her first eagle of the season in the first round and closed up the day with six birdies, including four on her last eight errorless holes.
• Senior Lion Higo (Gold Coast, Australia) is also in 9^th with a score of 141 (73-68).  She was good for eight birdies in two rounds, while adding an eagle as well. 
• Sophomore Jeneath Wong (Melbourne, Australia) is in 17^th with a score of 143 (75-68).  She impressed with a flawless final nine holes including five birdies on the back, while she amassed eight birdies all day.
• Junior KaYee Kwok (Tianjin, China) is tied for 47^th with a two-round score 150 (75-75).  She totaled three birdies.

 
UP NEXT
Pepperdine will be paired with Arizona State and UNLV in the third and final round tomorrow, teeing off on holes one through three at 7:30 a.m.   
 
THE NUMBERS
Team Standings: 1. Pepperdine 562; 2. Arizona State 573; 3. UNLV 577; 4. Ohio State 581; 5. Cal 582; T6. New Mexico 585; T6. Kent State 585; 8. Kansas 586; 9. Iowa State 589; T10. SMU 590; T10. Texas State 590; T10. Oregon State 590; 13. Denver 593; 14. San Diego State 599; T15. Boise State 601; T15. Northwestern 601.
 
Individual Leaders: 1. McKenzi Hall (UNLV) 136; T2. Lauren Gomez (Pepperdine) 137; T2. Raya Nakao (Oregon State) 137; T2. Veronika Kedronova (Kent State) 137; T6. Caley McGinty (Ohio State) 140; T6. Ellie Szeryk (SMU) 140; T6. Bohyun Park (Texas) 140; T9. Lion Higo (Pepperdine) 141; T9. Kaleiya Romero (Pepperdine) 141; T9. Grace Summerhays (Arizona State) 141; T9. Ashley Menne (Arizona State) 141.