The University of Houston Women’s Golf team extended its lead on Apr. 24 after the second round of the Big 12 Championship presented by Allstate at Dallas Athletic Club.
This development puts the Cougars in a strong position as they head into Saturday’s final round, holding a four-stroke advantage over fifteenth-ranked UCF. The team’s performance is notable as it marks only the second time in program history that Houston has opened a conference championship with consecutive sub-par rounds, repeating a feat last achieved during the American Athletic Conference Championships in April 2019.
Four Houston golfers—senior Natalie Saint Germain, junior Maelynn Kim, senior Moa Svedenskiöld, and senior Alexa Saldaña—shot scores of 73 or lower on Friday to rank among the top thirteen leaders through thirty-six holes. Saint Germain finished her even-par round tied for third place at three-under-par alongside UCF’s Pimpisa Sisutham. Kim posted the team’s lowest score of the day with a two-under seventy and moved into a tie for fifth place overall.
Svedenskiöld recorded an even-par seventy-two and is tied for eleventh, while Saldaña also shot even par to sit tied for thirteenth. Sophomore Emilia Väistö made her conference championship debut and currently stands tied for forty-fourth place.
The final round begins Saturday morning, with live scoring available online and coverage airing on ESPN+ starting at 11:30 a.m. After completing this tournament, Houston will await its postseason fate during the NCAA Selection Show scheduled for Wednesday afternoon on Golf Channel. The Cougars have participated in NCAA Regional play every season since their inaugural year except one due to regulations.
