By: Max Bechtoldt
After the first round of the 2024 NW Arkansas Championship, there is a trio of Razorbacks near the top of the leaderboard.
Tied for second, one stroke behind leader Jasmine Suwannapura at the end of Friday, was Razorback legend Maria Fassi, shooting -7. Fassi, of course, used her incredible power to dominate, but also had a hot putter with only 27 on the round. Despite being a college legend, winning two Annika Awards and an individual national championship, her pro career has been a bit of a let down with no wins yet. It goes without saying, this would be a special one to win.
The woman who inspired Fassi to attend Arkansas, Gaby López, is also in solid form in a tie for ninth. López shot a -5 66, hitting 12 fairways and 14 greens. López is seeking her first win since 2022, but is struggling early in round two with a triple bogey on her fifth hole of the day.
Rounding out the strong trio is the current face of the Razorbacks, amateur Maria Marin from Colombia, who shot a -6 65 in the opening round. Despite giving up distance off the tee, she hit the ball straight with 11 hit fairways and 15 hit greens. Marin is the reigning SEC Freshman of the year and was a second team All-American in 2024.
Fellow Razorback legend, Stacy Lewis, shot a -2 69. She is the only former player to win this event, twice in 2007 and 2014.
