Dalton State (Ga.) Takes Narrow Team Lead After First Round of NAIA Women’s Golf National Championship

YPSILANTI, Mich. – A packed leaderboard and a narrow advantage in the team standings emerged after the first round of the 2026 NAIA Women’s Golf National Championship at Eagle Crest Golf Club in Ypsilanti, Mich., as top-ranked Dalton State (Ga.) edged Truett McConnell (Ga.) through 18 holes.

The first round took parts of two days to complete, with 141 golfers playing a portion of their first round or all of the first 18 holes on Wednesday. Fifteen players completed their first round on Tuesday, working around a pair of weather delays and ultimately a suspension of play for the day.

The Roadrunners posted a first-round score of 301, finishing two strokes ahead of Truett McConnell, and four shots clear of both British Columbia and Southeastern (Fla.) in the now 54-hole championship.

UBC’s Katherine Hao is in front, individually, the only player at par in the event after an even-par 72. Hao completed her round Tuesday and takes a two-shot lead into Thursday’s second round. Five golfers are tied for second at 2-over par. Hao’s teammate, Keira Hou, sits three shots back at 3-over par and is part of a 15-player tie for seventh place.

Wednesday also featured a pair of aces. Charlotte Huynh recorded a hole-in-one on No. 6 for SCAD Atlanta (Ga.), while Giulia Belfontali matched the feat later in the day on No. 4 for Lewis-Clark State (Idaho).

The second round of the championship is scheduled to begin Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m. ET and will air on Urban Edge Network and NAIA Network, with links to apps, URLs, and connected TV information available at www.naia.org/watch. Live scoring and championship information can also be found at www.naia.org/wgolf.