The Colorado Buffaloes women’s golf team finished the first round of the 2026 Big 12 Women’s Golf Championship in 14th place on April 23, after playing at the Dallas Athletic Club Gold Course.
The team’s performance matters as it determines their standing and progression in a competitive conference event. The Buffaloes shot a collective score of 20-over-par, which matched their highest team round this season. They are currently three shots behind Kansas State, which is ranked No. 38 nationally and holds the 13th spot at 17-over-par. Despite this setback, Colorado remains only five strokes away from breaking into the top ten with two rounds left to play.
Houston leads after day one with a score of three-under-par, followed by UCF at one-under-par. Oklahoma State and Iowa State are tied for third at five-over-par each. Colorado started well on its back nine but struggled heading into the clubhouse, particularly over holes sixteen through eighteen where they collectively played eight-over-par. Maya McVey provided a highlight for Colorado by scoring an eagle on the par-4 fourth hole—the only eagle recorded during Monday’s opening round.
Head coach Madeleine Sheils said, “We let some bad shots and a difficult course get to us. They’re a composed group, fairly mature and their short games are pretty good. We were unbelievable at that in Napa (Chevron Silverado Showdown) and today we allowed ourselves to make big numbers by letting frustration get to us.” Sheils also said, “We know our games are capable of playing a heck of a lot better,” adding that they worked on adjustments for windy conditions following Monday’s round: “We’re going to stay positive, compete tomorrow and learn from the mistakes today.” She concluded optimistically: “We expect to bounce back. This is a high-character group and we’ll be ready to come out and compete tomorrow.”
Sophomore Ellen O’Shaughnessy led Colorado individually with a two-over-par round (74), tying her for twenty-third place overall—just one stroke outside the top twenty competitors individually—and was followed closely by McVey who finished three-over (75). Other individual scores included Carolyn Fuller (+7), Teemapat Pateetin (+8), and Vanessa Ngo (+11).
Looking ahead, Colorado will be paired with Kansas State for Tuesday’s second round as both teams seek improvement.
