Tennessee Tech finished the opening round of the 2026 Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Golf Championship in third place on April 19, carding a team score of 323 at Dalton Golf and Country Club.
The team’s position keeps them close to leaders Little Rock and Morehead State, providing an opportunity to compete for the title as the tournament continues. The strong start is significant as it puts Tennessee Tech within striking distance with two rounds remaining.
Chloe Griffith led Tennessee Tech with a score of 77, placing her third individually and just one shot behind the tournament leader after day one. Kaydi Rhodes followed with an 80, tying for ninth place. Lexus Julian contributed an 81, tying for eleventh place. Kailey Lane and Sydney Branson rounded out the team’s scores with rounds of 85 and 89 respectively.
Scoring conditions were difficult throughout the field, with Sunday’s average score at Dalton Golf and Country Club reported as over 84. The course proved challenging on both par-4 and par-5 holes.
Little Rock leads after round one, thanks to performances from Cloe Poizac and Eleonore Aernouts who each shot a round-leading score of 76. Tennessee Tech remains close behind heading into Monday’s second round.
The Golden Eagles will return to play in Monday’s second round as they look to improve their standing in pursuit of the conference championship.
