The Incarnate Word women's golf team sits in third place with a team score of 12-over-par after the first day of the 2026 Southland Conference Women's Golf Championship.

The Cardinals sit 8 strokes behind UT Rio Grande Valley for second place and three strokes ahead of both Lamar and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Maria Jose Ramirez posted the lowest score for the Cardinals, sitting at +1 after carding a 73. After an even par front nine, Jose Ramirez slipped back after three consecutive bogeys early on the back nine. She came back, however, to birdie her final two holes to move her up the leaderboard and into a tie for sixth.

Jordan Sandoval and Arwen Settipalli each shot +3, 75s, to sit in a tie for 15th. Sandoval had an up-and-down front nine, alternating two birdies and an eagle with bogeys through the first six holes en route to carding a 35 on the front, then shot a 40 on the back nine to close her opening round. Settipalli had the inverse experience in her first round, carding two double-bogeys and a bogey on holes 7-9 to go out in 42, but after a birdie on number 12 halted the bogey train, she closed her round with another four birdies in her final five holes to finish off her round of 75.

Victoria Bauer and Isabella Saenz are tied for 21st in the championship after carding 77s, sitting at +5 after day one. Bauer had four birdies, but also two double bogeys and four bogeys on her round, while Saenz had one birdie to go along with six bogeys for her 77.

The Southland Conference Women's Golf Championship continues on Tuesday, April 14th. The Cardinals tee off in groups 1-5 with the first tee time going out at 1 p.m.