AIKEN, S.C. — The Columbia women's golf team combined to shoot a 3-over-par 295 and jump three spots up the leaderboard into fifth place on Saturday at the More Than Golf Invitational. The inaugural three-day, 54-hole tournament, co-hosted by Columbia, Augusta and the ANNIKA Foundation, is being contested at Old Barnwell.
 
Columbia's 3-over team round is its best in relation to par since the 2021-22 season. It also ties for the third-lowest team round in relation to par in program history, behind a pair of one-over rounds from 2005-06 and the fall of 2021. The Lions were led by a 1-under-par 72 from first-year Christine Chang. Two more first-years, Emily Luo and Sarah Shao, shot a pair of 1-over 74s. Junior Yoko Tai rounded out the team score with a season-low 2-over 75.
 
Chang, Luo, Shao and Tai combined to card 13 birdies on the day. Chang, who posted her second under-par round of the season, made three birdies in a six-hole stretch to get into red figures. She concluded with three-straight pars at the par-4 seventh, eighth and ninth for a 2-under 34 over her second nine.
 
Luo matched her collegiate-low 74 from Friday's first round. Just as she did that day, the rookie from Danville, California recorded three bogeys and two birdies over another solid 18. Shao's 74 included four birdies, three bogeys and one double-bogey.
 
Columbia (+25) is fifth on the 12-team leaderboard, one shot in front of sixth-place East Tennessee State and four shots behind fourth-place Illinois State. Georgia Southern heads the pack at even.
 
Luo (+2) leads all Lions on the individual leaderboard, entering Sunday's final round tied for 10th. Only four individuals in the 70-player field are under par. Shao (+6) moved into the top 20, Tai is in the top 30, and Chang moved up 29 spots into a tie for 33rd.
 
Sunday's final round begins at 9:30 a.m. Fans can follow the action courtesy of the live scoreboard on Clippd.
 
ABOUT THE MORE THAN GOLF INVITATIONAL
The More Than Golf Invitational is designed to provide an exceptional, high-quality golf experience and the opportunity for participants to advance their careers. The individual medalist will receive up to three complimentary starts on the ANNIKA Women's All-Pro Tour throughout the summer.
 
In alignment with the ANNIKA Foundation's mission, the More Than Golf Invitational will provide valuable life and career guidance for the student-athletes. Planned programming will include relationship-building opportunities through a college-am to be held before the tournament, as well as an executive women's reception and dinner where players will have the chance to meet and develop relationships with successful women across a variety of industries.
 
"The More Than Golf Invitational speaks to the heart of our mission — to develop, empower and advance young women through golf and in life — and we are very excited to kick things off next year at Old Barnwell," said Annika. "We're grateful to our partners at Old Barnwell and our host universities, Augusta and Columbia, for helping us make this dream a reality. This tournament will give the student-athletes a chance to test themselves at a premier golf venue, while providing memorable experiences, life, and career advice."   
 
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