SALEM, Ore. – Facing off against two of the Northwest Conference’s top-three women’s golf teams, Linfield posted the third-best first-round score at the Willamette Invitational Saturday at the Illahe Hills Country Club.

Defending NWC champion George Fox raced to a sizeable first-round lead, totaling 322 strokes to second-place Willamette’s 348 and Linfield’s 360. Lewis & Clark only entered three golfers and therefore did not compile a team score.

Hannah Christianson led the Wildcats in the first round with a 14-over-par 87, good for a two-way tie for seventh place.

Fellow Wildcat Alexandria Smith (Sr., Bellingham, Wash.) was one stroke back, carding 88 strokes over the first 18 holes, while Sophie Corr scored 90 on Day 1.

The fourth and final counting score came from Brinn Hovde, who found herself in 15th place after the first round with a 22-over-par 95.

Though her score did not count toward Linfield’s cumulative team total, Lydia Smith recorded a 24-over-par 97.

George Fox’s Kelsey Morrison, the reigning NWC Player of the Year, opened up a six-stroke lead on the 18-player field with a two-over-par 75. The Bruins claimed the top four spots after Day 1 as Megan McGrew played her way into second place with an eight-over-par 81, and Loreece Magsanide and Abby Mann tied for third with identical scores of 82.

COMING UP: Second-round action tees off at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Illahe Hills Country Club.