Since transferring from Sierra College to Chico State in 2019, Kelsey Blaylock has waited quite a while for her time to shine as a member of the Wildcat women’s golf team. Playing in just four tournaments during the COVID-shortened 2019–20 season and seeing the 2020–21 campaign cancelled completely due to the pandemic, it took two years for the Lincoln native to finally experience the program spotlight. By notching her first top 10 tournament finish as a ’Cat at the September 27–28 RJGA Shootout at Estrella, Blaylock also becomes the latest Wildcat of the Week.
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In just her second appearance of the season, Blaylock shot an impressive 5-over par 149 at the RJGA Shootout at Estrella, finishing the 36-hole event tied for 10th place in the 104-player field. Blaylock demonstrated consistency throughout the entire tournament, suffering no worse than a bogey while collecting three birdies and 25 pars over the course of the tournament.
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Blaylock began the RJGA Shootout at Estrella with authority, posting the lowest single-round score of her Chico State career with a 1-over par 73. After bogeying her first hole, Blaylock played 2-under over her next 10 holes, sinking two birdies during that stretch. She ended the day tied for fourth place on the individual leader board.
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Just five strokes off the lead heading into the tournament’s final round, Blaylock continued her sizzling play, sinking a birdie on her second hole of the day and was playing at 1-over par through 14 holes. She eventually finished with a 4-over 76 and a share of 10th place, joining teammate Trinity Hernandez (seventh place at the September 13–14 Point Loma Sea Lion Invitational) as the lone Wildcat top 10 finishers so far this season.
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After completing this week’s Sonoma State Fall Invitational, Blaylock and the rest of the Chico State women’s golf team concludes the fall portion of the 2021–22 schedule. The Wildcats open up the spring 2022 slate February 14–15, competing in the Visit Stockton Cactus Thaw at Stockton’s Brookside Country Club.
