Buffs Bounce Back: Colorado Women’s Golf Charges into Top 5 at Arizona Thunderbird Intercollegiate
TUCSON, Ariz. - What started as a rough morning turned into a resilient rally for the Colorado women’s golf team, who now find themselves in the thick of the leaderboard heading into the final round of the Arizona Thunderbird Intercollegiate.
After stumbling to a 20-over-par opening round, the No. 48-ranked Buffaloes regrouped in a big way on Monday afternoon at Tucson Country Club. Behind a gritty team effort-and a standout performance from junior Carolyn Fuller-Colorado surged five spots up the standings, finishing the day unofficially tied for fifth with No. 47 Texas Tech at 21-over.
It wasn’t just a comeback-it was a statement.
The second round was suspended due to darkness, with seven teams still needing two players each to complete their final hole. Colorado is among that group, with Fuller and freshman Teemapat Pateetin set to finish their rounds early Tuesday morning at 8:15 a.m.
MT. The third and final round will tee off immediately afterward.
Stanford Sets the Pace, Buffs Make Their Move
Top-ranked Stanford lived up to its billing, finishing the day at 5-under and building a commanding lead over second-place Baylor (+9). Host Arizona sits third at +11, with BYU in fourth at +13. Colorado and Texas Tech are locked in a battle for fifth at +21, though the final tallies will be official only once all second-round scorecards are submitted.
Despite the incomplete round, Colorado’s second-round performance was a clear turnaround. After posting a 308 in the morning, the Buffs responded with a near-even round in the afternoon-just one stroke added with two holes left to play. That kind of bounce-back effort speaks volumes about the team’s mental toughness.
“It was a really great comeback today,” said head coach Madeleine Sheils. “We were disappointed in the poor start; the course played harder than expected-it was much firmer.
We had some early misses that were more penal than in the practice round, and that shook us up a bit. But I’m so proud of the way they fought back.”
Sheils hit the nail on the head: golf is as much mental as it is physical. And sometimes, all it takes is a fresh scorecard to reset the rhythm.
Fuller’s Fire: A Spark for the Buffs
Carolyn Fuller was the catalyst for Colorado’s second-round surge. After a 5-over 77 in the morning, she came out swinging in the afternoon, sitting at 3-under through 17 holes with just the par-4 11th left to play. Should she finish strong, it would mark her fifth round in the 60s this season-a testament to her growing consistency and clutch play.
Fuller opened her second round with birdies on three of her first five holes, then delivered the team’s first eagle of the spring on the 513-yard, par-5 first. Her second shot-a 230-yard strike-landed within 12 feet, and she calmly rolled in the putt. Though she briefly dropped back to 2-under, a birdie on the par-5 10th brought her back to 3-under before play was halted.
Unofficially, she’s tied for 14th at 2-over for the tournament.
“I’m very proud of the resilience our team showed for the second round,” Fuller said. “We realized it was playing more difficult in the morning and all had a very good attitude for a long day and kept grinding.”
Team Effort Behind the Climb
Fuller wasn’t alone in sparking the comeback. Sophomore Ellen O’Shaughnessy shaved three strokes off her morning round to card a 72 in the afternoon, placing her at 3-over and in 16th place. She’s been a steady presence for the Buffs all season, and Monday was no different.
Freshman Teemapat Pateetin showed poise after a tough start. Her opening-round 81 could’ve derailed her confidence, but she steadied the ship in round two and is one hole away from an even-par effort. She currently sits tied for 44th at 10-over.
Vanessa Ngo, tied for 41st at 9-over, and Maya McVey, tied for 49th at 11-over, also played key roles. McVey’s second-round 75 was a solid bounce-back from an opening 80, and Sheils expects a one-stroke scoring correction in her favor once the second-round cards are finalized.
Leaderboard Highlights
Stanford’s Andrea Revuelta is putting on a show of her own. At 9-under through 36 holes, she holds a five-shot lead over a trio tied for second at 5-under: teammate Paula Martin Sampedro, Charlotte’s Pimchompoo Chaisilprungruang, and Baylor’s Silje Ohma. BYU’s Maria Jose Barragan rounds out the top five at 4-under.
What’s Next
Colorado will once again be paired with Texas Tech, Grand Canyon, and Seattle University for the final round. All four squads have two players remaining to finish their second rounds.
Once those final holes are completed, the third round will begin with groups teeing off between holes 10 and 13, starting at 8:30 a.m. MT.
There’s still golf to be played, but if Monday’s second-round resilience is any indication, this Colorado team isn’t just trying to hang around-they’re ready to climb.
Buffaloes Individual Scores (Unofficial)
*T14.
- Carolyn Fuller - 77, (-3) - (+2) *16.
- Ellen O'Shaughnessy - 75, 72 - 147 (+3) *T41.
- Vanessa Ngo - 76, 77 - 153 (+9) *T44.
- Teemapat Pateetin - 81, (+1) - (+10) *T49.
- Maya McVey - 80, 75 - 155 (+11)
Top 5 Individuals
*1.
- Andrea Revuelta, Stanford - 66, 69 - 135 (-9) *T2.
- Paula Martin Sampedro, Stanford - 68, 72 - 140 (-5) *T2.
- Pimchompoo Chaisilprungruang, Charlotte - 69, 71 - 140 (-5) *T2.
- Silje Ohma, Baylor - 71, 69 - 140 (-5) *5.
- Maria Jose Barragan, BYU - 73, 68 - 141 (-4)
Team Leaderboard (Unofficial)
*1.
- Stanford - 288, 283 - 571 (-5) *2.
- Baylor - 295, 290 - 585 (+9) *3.
- Arizona - 295, 292 - 587 (+11) *4.
- BYU - 300, 289 - 589 (+13) *T5.
- Colorado - 308, +1 (17) - (+21) *T5.
- Texas Tech - 301, +8 (17) - (+21)
The final round is set, and the Buffs are right in the mix. Don’t count them out.