High Stakes at Pasatiempo
The second annual Hollins Cup at the Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz opened on Monday with a tightly packed leaderboard, setting the stage for a dramatic final round on Tuesday. Three golfers—Emory University’s Esther Jung, Washington-St. Louis’ Jessy Young, and Randolph-Macon’s Morgan Mussatt—finished the opening 18 holes in a three-way tie for the individual lead, each carding an even-par 72. According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, the tournament features a deep field of top-ranked NCAA Division III women’s golf programs, with team positions separated by only a few strokes. Action is set to resume at noon, where the 13-team field will battle for the championship honors.
Volatile Individual Performances
While the leaders sit at even-par, the road to that score was anything but smooth. Jung’s performance was marked by high variance, featuring six birdies offset by three bogeys and a triple bogey on the par-5 eighth hole. Similarly, Young’s round included four birdies and a single bogey, but was hindered by a triple bogey on the sixth hole. Mussatt provided a more stable scorecard, finishing with three birdies and three bogeys to round out the leading trio. The competitiveness of the field is further reflected in the tight grouping of the trailing pack. Amanda Zheng of Emory, Katherine Keith of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, and Toral Bhatt of Washington and Lee are currently tied for fourth place at 1-over-par 73. Just behind them, a trio of golfers—UC Santa Cruz’s Adeline Truong, Washington-St. Louis’ Nicole McGuire, and Emory’s Zimo Li—are locked in a tie for seventh place at 3-over 75. Washington-St. Louis’ Eliza Meltzer, along with UCSC’s Jocelyn Choi and Samantha Shaw, are tied for 10th at 4-over 76. Defending champion Carys Code, representing Emory, struggled to find her rhythm, finishing the first round tied for 17th with a 78.
Team Standings and Final Round Outlook
Emory University, ranked No. 1 and currently the two-time defending NCAA D-III champions, holds a narrow lead in the team standings with a 10-over 298 total. Washington-St. Louis sits closely behind in second place at 12-over, while No. 6 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps occupies third at 19-over. The host institution, UC Santa Cruz, currently sits in fourth place at 21-over, ahead of No. 2 Carnegie Mellon, which rounded out the top five at 25-over. The tournament has drawn significant local attention, with Pasatiempo serving as the backdrop for intense collegiate play. The presence of head coach Paulette Pera and the active participation of the UC Santa Cruz roster have added local excitement to the event. With only two strokes separating the top two teams, Tuesday’s final round is expected to be a high-pressure test for the 13-team field. The conclusion of the 36-hole event will determine both the individual and team champions as the programs continue their competitive seasons in the coming months.