Paschal grad six back at Texas Women’s Open; Wylie golfer leads
Rylee Pedigo spent the last year trying to grow up and mature as a freshman golfer at the University of Oklahoma.
Tuesday, after an opening-round 77 in the Texas Women’s Open, more of what lies ahead for the aspiring professional was front-and-center in blustery conditions at Rolling Hills Country Club.
Pedigo, who played high school golf at Fort Worth Paschal, is 27th after the first round, six shots off the lead of Wylie’s Maddie McCrary with 18 holes to play Wednesday.
McCrary, an Oklahoma State sophomore, has a one-shot lead over a group of six players, and Colleyville’s Emily Collins is part of a four-player group two shots back.
“Considering how I hit the ball, my card doesn’t reflect how well I played,” Pedigo said. “I played two holes 5-over par, so I really spent some strokes there and then I didn’t get as many putts to fall today.
“I’m still encouraged, though, because I probably wasn’t the best teammate I could have been last fall, but I’ve made some changes that will help me both on and off the course become the more coachable player that I really want to be.”
She’ll have some ground to make up in the second round in order to contend at Rolling Hills.
But being around professionals and understanding what it takes to play professionally is what drives the Fort Worth native.
“When I play in tournaments like this, it’s obvious I need to hit the ball better and be more consistent with my irons, especially the long irons,” Pedigo said. “But I am shooting some of the same scores and competing out here so I don’t feel like I’m way off.”
The wind was a serious factor Tuesday as Pedigo fired an 8-iron downwind from 173 yards on No. 7 before rolling in a 30-footer for her first birdie of the day.
She had another at the par-3 16th hole, where another 8-iron from 136 yards, this time into stiff wind gusts, settled around 4 feet.
But with a triple bogey on No. 2 and a double on No. 10, the round got away from Pedigo a bit.
“I had some crazy yardages out there and wasn’t doing some of the things that I normally do with all the wind,” she said. “But I’m excited about tomorrow, and if I get some of the putts to fall that didn’t fall today, maybe I can climb back into it late in the day.”
Defending champion Ashley Knoll also shot 77 and said the wind was a factor for separating from the pack early on.
“I think if you got a good score in today, you’re in great position,” she said. “But I was four shots back last year and came back, and if the wind stays like this, who knows?”
This story was originally published July 7, 2015 at 9:07 PM with the headline "Paschal grad six back at Texas Women’s Open; Wylie golfer leads."