Kanchanaphiboon tied for 18th after round one of the NJCAA Women's Golf Championships
Melbourne, FL-The Florida humidity can be unforgiving, even teeing off at 9:18 a.m. local time.
With a towel draped over her head for most of the front nine, Kanchana Kanchanaphiboon managed to pull into a tie for 18th place at 3-over par at the 2024 NJCAA Women's Golf National Championships at Duran Golf Club.
"She (Kanchanaphiboon) had a lot of chances to bring that score down," Head Coach, Jaden Chavez said. "We'll see how it goes tomorrow."
The sophomore, who started her morning on the back-nine, had everything working early. She played even on 10 before getting on the green in just two shots on the par-5 11th. Kanchanaphiboon then converted a five-foot putt for birdie, her lone one of the day.
"She (Kanchanaphiboon) got off to a really good start," Chavez added. "This course is gettable, especially with some of these par 5's."
After parring 12 and 13, Kanchanaphiboon worked around a little hazard on 14 when she chipped out of the bunker; then drained a 10-foot putt to save par.
On 17, a pretty manageable 186-yard par 3, Kanchanaphiboon's approach shot landed about 30-feet from the cup. Her chip then got her within a couple feet of the hole before she tapped in for par.
But she missed a golden chance on 18.
After her approach shot landed right of the fairway, the sophomore used an eight-iron to launch a rocket over the trees to put her in prime position. But the greens, which played extremely fast on this day, didn't help her cause, and her 18-foot birdie putt rimmed out. If it would have dropped, she would have been at 2-under at the turn and just two shots off the lead. Instead, she was three strokes back with the temperatures rising.
"There's no question she should have been at 2-under," Chavez explained. "If that shot goes, it's a totally different story."
After playing level through the first two holes on the front side, Kanchanaphiboon found trouble on No.3. It was a frustrating sequence of events after her third shot deflected off the lip of the green and rolled backwards. She ended up doubling the hole. Thes sophomore also bogeyed four and seven.
Daytona State's Angelica Holman posted the round's low score after shooting a 4-under, 69. But the shot of the day belonged to Odessa's Rylie Rodriguez, who carded a hole-in-one on No. 4.