The Iowa women’s golf team came out firing on all cylinders on Monday and moved up the leaderboard at the Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M.

The team shot 6-over par, which was the second-best score in the 18-team field. The Hawkeyes entered the day 31 shots back of leader Northwestern, but Monday’s effort cut the deficit by three strokes and put them in 12th place.

Freshmen Lauren English and Shelby Phillips led the charge for the Hawkeyes, both carding scores of 74 (1-over). English’s total score of 226 (7-over) was good for a tie for 26th place. Phillips finished the tournament in a tie for 48th place with a total of 230.

Senior Chelsea Harris and Gigi DiGrazia both fired scores of 75 in the final round and finished the tournament in ties for 66th and 72nd places, respectively.

Junior Kristi Cardwell had a rough time on Monday, however, and turned in a 10-over 83 to finish the tournament in a tie for 61st place.

The Hawkeyes’ next tournament will be the Lady Northern Invitational in French Lick, Ind., on Oct. 10-11.

— by Tork Mason