Goose Creek, S.C. – Senior Victoria Ladd leads four Catamounts inside the individual Top 10, pacing Western Carolina to a second-place standing after 36 of the scheduled 54 holes at the 2022 fall finale at the 2nd Annual Buccaneer Classic being held at the par-72, 6,185-yard Crowfield Golf Club.
 
Ladd carded consecutive rounds of 1-over par 73 on Monday to lead the Catamounts in fourth place after 36 holes, just three strokes off the individual lead held by Charleston Southern's Laerke Jensen (143). Freshman Brie Mapanao is in a two-way tie for sixth at 4-over par 148 with redshirt sophomore Kayleigh Baker (149) in eighth and sophomore Elizabeth Lohbauer rounding out the four Catamounts in the Top 10 in a three-way tie for ninth with a score of 150.
 
The final round is scheduled for Tuesday with live scoring available online through BirdieFire.
 
Ladd countered four bogeys with a trio of birdies in the first round for the 1-over 73 before overcoming a pair of double-bogeys with two birdies and an eagle on the par-5 11th for the second 1-over par round. Mapanao had four bogeys and a pair of birdies in her first round 74, and much like Ladd, had to work a little more in the second 18 holes. The New South Wales, Australia, product opened at 1-under on her first hole before making the turn to the back nine at 2-over par. Mapanao tallied three consecutive birdies to move to 1-under with five holes remaining before finishing +2, 74.
 
Even-par through eight holes, Baker labored through the final seven holes of her opening round, shooting 6-over 78. However, the St. Augustine, Fla., native rebounded with the team's best round of the event, shooting 1-under par 71 over the second 18 holes. Baker countered three bogeys with four birdies and 11 pars to climb to eighth place. Lohbauer is a stroke back at 150 with rounds of 4-over par 76 and 2-over par 74, carding four birdies over the opening 36 holes of competition.
 
Rounding out WCU's scoring five is fifth-year senior Madison Isaacson, just outside the Top 10 in a two-way tie for 12th with a two-round score of 151. Isaacson bounced back from a 5-over par round of 77 with a 2-over round of 74 over the second 18 holes, charting a pair of birdies – one apiece between Monday's two rounds.
 
Playing unattached as an individual, sophomore Kaitlyn Wingnean posted rounds of 77 and 78 to be in the clubhouse at 155 after the first day. Wingnean had 27 pars and a birdie on Monday.
 
Tournament-host Charleston Southern carries a six-stroke lead over the red-hot Catamounts into Tuesday's final round. The Buccaneers carded consecutive rounds of 293 to shoot 10-over par 586 with WCU rallying from a first-round 300 to shoot a tournament-low round of 292, in the clubhouse at 592. Illinois State sits 15 strokes in arrears of the Catamounts with a two-round score of 607, with UNC Asheville (609) and Gardner-Webb (613) rounding out the top five.
 
2 – Western Carolina – 300 – 292 = 592 (+16)
4 – Victoria Ladd – 73-73 = 146 = 146 (+2)
T6 – Brie Mapanao – 74-74 = 148 (+4)
8 – Kayleigh Baker – 78-71 = 149 (+5)
T9 – Elizabeth Lohbauer – 76-74 = 150 (+6)
T12 – Madison Isaacson – 77-74 = 151 (+7)
T20 – Kaitlyn Wingnean (ind.) – 77-78 = 155 (+11)