Lopes end fall on high note in Hawaii tournament

Monday, October 24

Manoa, O'ahu, Hawaii

Grand Canyon

Rainbow Wahine Invitational

10/24/2022 5:56:00 PM | Women's Golf

Results

Luafalealo finishes 6th at even par in home state's Rainbow Wahine Invitational

By: Nick Macdonald

KAPOLEI, Hawaii – The Grand Canyon women's golf team had its best round of the three-day Rainbow Wahine Invitational on Wednesday afternoon, carding a 1-under-par score to finish the tournament in a tie for sixth place.

The Lopes tied with Fresno State at 25 over with both teams two strokes back from fifth-place Hawaii, the event's host. Colorado State won the 13-team tournament at 7 under while Gonzaga placed second at 7 over and No. 26 Charleston took third at 9 over.

As a team, GCU shot 14 strokes better than its two previous rounds on Monday and Tuesday. It totaled a 287 on Wednesday after back-to-back rounds of 301. The 1-under-par score was tied for third best in the third round.

Junior Lani Luafalealo finished best for the Lopes with a 54-hole score of even par for sixth place. With five birdies on her first nine holes, Luafalealo shot 3 under Wednesday and gained five spots to place in the top 10. Luafalealo, a native of Honolulu and graduate of Moanalua High School, competed in Hawaii for the first time since joining the Lopes in the fall of 2020.

GCU junior Constanza Guerrero shot her best round of the tournament, an even-par third round, on Wednesday and finished tied for 17th at 4 over.

Lopes freshman Ryan Flynn had her best outing Wednesday and moved up 13 spots from Tuesday's finish, carding a 1-under third round to tie for 22nd at 8 over for the tournament. Senior Carmen Belmonte finished 48th at 16 over, while junior Becca Tschetter tied for 61st at 20 over.

GCU will return to action in the spring season, when it plays in the Valley Invitational hosted by Cal State Bakersfield on Feb. 6-7.

Day 2 recap

GCU concluded the second round of the Rainbow Wahine Invitational on Tuesday, carding a team score of 13 over at Kapolei Golf Course.

GCU is in seventh place out of 13 schools with a two-day score of 26 over par. Only one team finished with an under-par scorecard Tuesday as No. 26 Charleston went 1 under par. The Lopes' 13-over day tied for the fifth-best team score for the day.

Luafalealo, a junior, leads the Lopes after shooting a 1-over 73 in the second round to be tied for 11th. Luafalealo is 3 over for the tournament and seven strokes off the lead. Guerreo jumped seven spots Tuesday with a 1-over-par scorecard and is tied for 17th.

Flynn is tied for 35th at 9 over while Belmonte is tied for 43rd at 11 over and Tschetter is tied for 66th at 17 over.

Colorado State leads the tournament at 1 under. Gonzaga is second at 7 over with Charleston in third at 10 over.

The event concludes Wednesday, which will be GCU's last tournament action until the Valley Invitational in Bakersfield, California, on Feb. 6-7.

Day 1 recap

GCU completed Day 1 of its final fall tournament Monday in the Rainbow Wahine Invitational, carding a team score of 13 over par for seventh place out of 13 schools.

The tournament is being held at Kapolei Golf Course with one round being played each day through Wednesday.

Luafalealo paced the Lopes with a 2-over 74. The junior tallied three birdies and sits in a tie for 17th after 18 holes. Guerrero and Belmonte finished right behind her for GCU, shooting 3 over for a tie for 24th.

Flynn is tied for 34th at 5 over and Tschetter is tied for 68th at 10 over.

Gonzaga and Colorado State share the lead at 6 under, while Hawaii is in third at 4 over. The Lopes sit three strokes back from fourth-place Fresno State at 10 over.

Round 2 begins Tuesday afternoon with the third and final round on Wednesday afternoon.