WOODBURY, Minn. – A quartet of seniors paced the Wisconsin women's golf team as it opened the 2017-18 season with 36 holes at the Minnesota Invitational on Monday. Gabby Curtis, Lexi Harkins and Aya Johnson all completed the first two rounds at 1-under par while classmate Becky Klongland was even through 36 holes at Prestwick Golf Club in Woodbury, Minnesota.

As a team, Wisconsin stands at 3-under par and tied for seventh place in the 14-team tournament.

"I thought we were really solid all day," UW head coach Todd Oehrlein said. "It was close to being an outstanding day but we were still very consistent and balanced. Overall it was a good start and there's a lot to build on heading into tomorrow's final round."

Johnson, who missed the last two years after back surgery, kept the momentum going from her successful summer and opened with an even par 72 on her first 18 holes. She followed that up with three birdies and two bogeys for a 1-under par second round. She is tied for 18th heading into tomorrow's final round.

Harkins, a transfer from North Carolina playing in her first tournament for the Badgers, birdied her final hole in the morning round to get back to even for the round and then, like Johnson, shot 1-under par in the second round.

Curtis joined them at -1, with her rounds reversed of theirs. She birdied her final hole to finish her first round at 1-under par then birdied two of her final three holes in the second round to get back to even par for the round and finish the day at -1.

Klongland made three birdies and three bogeys in her opening round then a pair of birdies matched with two bogeys in her second round. She's tied for 25th place at even par.

Junior Jessica Reinecke was 3-over par for the day, carding rounds of 73 and 74. She's currently tied for 45th. Sophomore Bobbi Stricker, playing in her first collegiate tournament and competing as an individual, was even par through her first 14 holes of round one before running into trouble and finishing at +6. Her second round score of 78 left her at +12 for the tournament and tied for 77th place.

TEAM SCORES
1. Michigan State (-19)
2. Southern California (-18)
3. Louisville (-12)
4. Purdue (-8)
5. East Carolina (-6)
6. Virginia Tech (-4)
T7. Wisconsin (-3)
T7. Notre Dame (-3)
9. Minnesota (-2)
10. Brigham Young (+6)
11. Kansas State (+11)
T12. North Texas (+12)
T12. Georgia (+13)
14. Kansas (+20)

UW INDIVIDUALS
T16. Gabby Curtis (-1), 71-72=143
T16. Lexi Harkins (-1), 72-71=143
T16. Aya Johnson (-1), 72-71=143
T25. Becky Klongland (E), 72-72=144
T46. Jessica Reinecke (+3), 73-74=147
T77. Bobbi Stricker (+12), 78-78=156