Hilton Head Island, S.C. – Flirting with the top of the leaderboard all day Sunday, fifth-year senior Madison Isaacson led Western Carolina to second place after 18 holes at the 2023 Southern Conference Women's Golf Championship, in the clubhouse second individually after shooting a 1-under par 71 in the first round at the Moss Creek Golf Club's par-72, 6,036-yard South course.
 
Isaacson is one of two Catamounts to grace the tournament's top 10 after the first round as sophomore Elizabeth Lohbauer sits in a three-way tie for sixth at 2-over par 74.
 
Defending event champion Furman, a SoCon-best 62nd in the latest GolfStat rankings, holds a four-stroke lead over the second-place Catamounts, 9-over par 297 against WCU's 13-over par 301 after 18 of the scheduled 54 holes. ETSU and Mercer are tied for third, six strokes in arrears at 19-over par 307, with Wofford (311) rounding out the top five. Samford is sixth with a first-round score of 313, followed by UNCG (316), Chattanooga (318), and The Citadel (351).
 
The second round gets underway on Tuesday morning with tee times off the first tee beginning at 8:30 a.m. in threesomes. Paired with golfers  from first-place Furman and third-place ETSU, WCU's scoring five hits the course beginning at 10:10 a.m. The team champion garners the SoCon's automatic bid into the NCAA Regional field with the individual medalist if not on the winning team also earning a postseason berth.
 
Live scoring through GolfStat is available online through a link at CatamountSports.com.
 

 
Isaacson countered a pair of bogeys with a trio of birdies in Sunday's first round. The Greensboro, N.C., product opened the tournament with eight-consecutive pars before her first birdie on the par-4 ninth to make the turn to the back at 1-under for the day. A bogey on the 10th relegated her back to even, but the super senior got the stroke back two holes later with a birdie on the par-4 12th. Carding her third birdie of the round on the par-4, 268-yard 16th, Isaacson was atop the leaderboard until a bogey on the final hole of the day pushed her to second behind individual leader Anna Morgan of Furman, who shot 2-under par 70.
 
Lohbauer turned to the back nine at even-par, countering a bogey three holes into Sunday's round with a birdie on No. 9. Two more birdies negated two additional bogeys with a double-bogey on the par-4 10th relegating her to 2-over par 74 for the round.
 
True freshman Brie Mapanao and senior Victoria Ladd are tied with four others in 15th overall at 6-over par 78 with sophomore Kaitlyn Wingnean rounding out the scoring five in a tie for 22nd a stroke back at 7-over par, 79.
 
In her first start in the conference championship crowning event, the Australian-born Mapanao settled to chart six-consecutive pars after an opening bogey and double-bogey started her day at 3-over par. A second bogey turned her to the back nine at 4-over for the day. Mapanao countered three bogeys on the back nine with a birdie on the par-3 15th. Ladd had 10 pars with seven bogeys and a lone birdie on the par-3 17th for her 6-over round Sunday.
 
Isaacson is tied with Furman's Morgan in leading the field in par-4 scoring at 3.90 (-1). Lohbauer and Mapanao rank tied for second in par-3 scoring at 2.75 (-1) through 18 holes.
 
Wingnean was 1-under par through three holes after opening her tournament with a birdie. Four bogeys against a pair of birdies left her making the turn to the back nine at 2-over par. A choppy back nine saw the Canadian-born striker card four bogeys, one double-bogey with a third birdie. She was poised to join Mapanao and Ladd in the 15th-place tie before a bogey on the par-4 18th left her at 7-over for the day.
As a team, the Catamounts lead the field in par-3 scoring at 3.05 (+1) through 18 holes and are tied for second in the field with 11 total birdies.
 
Tournament play continues Monday before concluding with the third round Tuesday.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount women's golf and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, @CatamountWGolf).
 
2023 SoCon Women's Golf Championship
Moss Creek Golf Club - South Course | After 18 Holes
1 – Furman – 297 (+9)
2 – Western Carolina – 301 (+13)
T3 – ETSU – 307 (+19)
T3 – Mercer – 307 (+19)
5 – Wofford – 311 (+23)
6 – Samford – 313 (+25)
7 – UNCG – 316 (+28)
8 – Chattanooga – 318 (+30)
9 – The Citadel – 351 (+63)
 
2 – Western Carolina – 301 (+13)
2 – Madison Isaacson – 71 (-1)
T6 – Elizabeth Lohbauer – 74 (+2)
T15 – Brie Mapanao – 78 (+6)
T15 – Victoria Ladd – 78 (+6)
T22 – Kaitlyn Wingnean – 79 (+7)