A newcomer with a last name familiar to Long Beach State’s women’s golf team made an immediate impact in the season opener Monday morning in Fort Collins, Colo.
Freshman Simone Hoey, the younger sister of former 49er and All-American Kay Hoey, finished two shots behind the leader in the opening round of the two-day, 16-team Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic hosted by Colorado State.
Hoey turned in a 3-under-par 69 performance on the par-72, 6,250-yard golf course at the Ptarmigan Country Club. She birdied five holes in her collegiate debut for the 49ers, who ended the round in 12th place with a 14-over 302 total as a team.
The host Rams (7-under 281) lead New Mexico by five shots for the overall team lead.
Hoey, in a four-way tie for 4th, trails Louisville’s Laura Anderson (5-under 67), New Mexico’s Rebecca Hellbom and Baylor’s Jaclyn Jansen (tied at 4-under 68).
The defending Big West Conference champions have seemingly rebounded from losing Lee Lopez — last season’s Big West Freshman of the Year who transferred to UCLA after the spring.
Along with Hoey, sophomore transfer Noelle Zavaleta made a solid 49er debut with a 4-over 76 round to finish tied for 47th.
Lindsey McAtee (6-over 78), Brenda Chhuor (7-over 79) and Reina Rogers (8-over 80) round out the scores for LBSU.
The field will return to the links for 18 more holes later in the afternoon in second-round action. The final 18 holes will be played Tuesday morning.