Junior Kiara Romero is tied for the individual lead and the Oregon Ducks are tied for second place after the first round of the 2026 NCAA Waco Regional, according to a May 11 announcement. The event is taking place at Ridgewood Country Club.
The results are significant because only the top five teams after three rounds will move on to the NCAA Championships later in May. The Ducks finished their opening round with an even-par score of 280, matching Texas A&M for second place. Southern Methodist University leads at three under par, with Tennessee and Tulsa rounding out the top five.
Romero, ranked as the number one amateur in the world, returned to competition after missing recent events due to other tournament invitations. She shot a four-under-par 66 with five birdies and no bogeys in her last seven holes. “Romero picked up right where she left off, as the two-time, first-team all-American carded her 19th par-or-better round and 12th sub-70 performance in 22 rounds this season,” said team officials.
Freshman Sophie Han also contributed with a strong performance, finishing one under par and tying for seventh overall. Tong An finished two over par while Darae Chung completed her round at three over par.
Oregon is making its eighteenth consecutive appearance at an NCAA Regional tournament and seeks its fifth straight trip to the national championships. The Ducks will begin play in Tuesday’s second round starting from hole number one at six o’clock in the morning Pacific Time.
As competition continues through stroke play this week, Oregon aims to secure another berth among collegiate golf’s elite teams.
