Castlewarden and Wake Forest’s Lauren Walsh got off to a fast start in the ANNIKA Intercollegiate Presented by 3M in Minnesota.

The Kildare star dropped an early shot at the sixth at Royal Golf Club in Minneapolis but birdied the ninth to turn in level par, then picked up further shots at the 12th, 13th and 18th to card a three-under 69 and share eighth place.

She’s three strokes behind her Curtis Cup teammate Hannah Darling, who shot a bogey-free, six-under 66 to lead by a shot from Ole Miss’s Julia Johnson.

Scores

The 54-hole stroke play event is held annually at the Royal Golf Club in Minneapolis and features 12 of the top Division I women’s programmes in the country.

This event allows Annika to stay connected with the players through the entirety of their careers, bridging the gap from junior to professional golf. In addition, a gala reception takes place before the event during which Annika presents the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel to the nation’s best female player in college golf.

“This event offers a fantastic platform to expand my Foundation’s mission to establish greater playing opportunities for junior and college golfers alike,” said Annika, the 1991 NCAA Champion and co-player of the year.

“It’s great to see many of the girls who played in our ANNIKA Invitational junior series return to play with their college teams. We’re excited to work with 3M to make the ANNIKA Intercollegiate a ‘can’t miss’ kick-off to the NCAA golf season.”