Furman University took a three-stroke lead on April 20 after the first round of the 2026 Southern Conference Women’s Golf Championship at Columbia Country Club in Blythewood, South Carolina.
The Paladins placed all four counting scorers among the top seven in the opening round. Junior Audrey Ryu led Furman with a two-under-par 70, putting her just one stroke behind Chattanooga’s Mackenzie Cooper, who finished with a three-under-par 69. Ryu recorded birdies on holes three, six, and eighteen.
Freshman Ava Hanneman shot even par to tie for third place, while sophomore Eva Ringwald finished one over par and tied for fifth after making three birdies between holes nine and twelve. Freshman Olivia Hasselbach carded a two-over-par 74 to tie for seventh place. Sophomore Jenna Madden is tied for fourteenth after posting a four-over-par 76.
Furman is seeking its twenty-second Southern Conference title and currently leads Chattanooga by three strokes (+4). UNC Greensboro holds third place at eleven over par (+11), followed by East Tennessee State (+17) and Samford (+18).
The tournament continues Tuesday with teams teeing off from both the first and tenth holes starting at 9 a.m. Furman’s group will begin play on hole one at 9:50 a.m., alongside Chattanooga and UNC Greensboro. The winner of this event will secure an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, while the individual champion will also earn automatic regional qualification. The NCAA field announcement is scheduled to air live on Golf Channel on Wednesday, April 29 at 5 p.m.
