By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – Kelsie Inouye took advantage of near-perfect playing conditions on Monday at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course, shooting a 2-under-par 70 to lead the way in the opening round of the 2026 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Championships.
 
The Saint Martin’s senior, who is playing the course for the fourth time in her career, shot her best-ever score on the CDA Resort links, topping an even-par 72 in last year’s second round. It also matched Inouye’s career single-round low, which she set in 2024 and matched in 2025. Inouye was steady throughout her first round of the tournament, totaling four birdies to offset just a pair of bogeys. She finished strong with a 2-under-par 35 on a back-nine that contained three of her birdies.
 
“Taking things one shot at a time and playing conservatively helped prevent any big numbers from happening,” said Inouye after her seventh-career round at the resort course. “Having fun in my last college tournament and my last time at GNACs is my top priority, so I am excited to tee it up again tomorrow.”
 
Inouye, who ranks sixth in GNAC history with a career scoring average of 76.54, was the runner-up at the 2023 GNAC Championships her freshman season. She has finished in the top-10 in all three of her previous GNAC Championships appearances. “Kelsie played very steady golf out there today,” said SMU head coach Anne Bahr. “She stayed in the moment and didn’t get ahead of herself, which can be easy to do on this golf course. I know she and the team are looking forward to two more rounds at this beautiful place.”
 
While Inouye’s individual round headlined Monday’s performances, three-time reigning team champion Simon Fraser took care of business by building a six-stroke advantage atop the leaderboard. The Red Leafs shot a 15-over-par 303 on the par-72, 5,802-yard course, finishing the day six shots ahead of three teams that tied for second. All five of SFU’s players finished in the top-13 among the field of 30 competitors, and the squad was led by defending individual champion Meera Minhas. The senior shot a 1-over-par 73 to sit third on the individual leaderboard, making three birdies her first time through the course.
 
Dana Smith, the 2024 GNAC Championships medalist, followed with a 4-over-par 76 and is in fifth place after the opening round of play. Izzy Ferguson and Cadence Ko each posted a 5-over-par 77 to sit in a tie for ninth place, and Cadence Ko followed with a 6-over-par 78 to wind up in 13th place.
 
Senior Lauren F. Lee helped play Western Washington into a tie for second on the leaderboard at 309, as she posted an even-par 72 for the second-best round Monday. Lee shook off a 3-over-par 38 on the front-nine and posted a 3-under-par 34 on the back-nine to storm up the leaderboard. Lee made four of her tournament-leading five birdies across her final seven holes of the day, finishing the event on fire. Lee entered the event as the GNAC leader at 73.6 strokes per round this season, and Monday was her best-ever round at the CDA Resort as she topped a 1-over-par 73 in last year’s second round.
 
Also tied for second in the team race is Montana State Billings, which carded a team score of 309. The Yellowjackets were led by first-time GNAC Championships participant Kyleigh McGowen, who shot a 4-over-par 76 to sit in fifth place on the leaderboard. Orraya Tipasathien had a team-leading three birdies and she and Ella Tannenberger each shot a 5-over-par 77 on their way to a tie for ninth place. Tipasathien finished tied for sixth at last year’s conference championship while Tannenberger placed ninth on her way to 2025 GNAC Freshman of the Year honors.
 
Behind Inouye’s stellar round, the Saints also found themselves with a team score of 309 after Monday’s action. Payten Baca followed Inouye with a 6-over-par 78 in her first conference tournament round, and senior veteran Ashley Bruland put together a 7-over-par 79 to kick off her final GNAC Championships event. Bruland won the conference tournament as a freshman in 2023, and along with Inouye played the course for a tournament-high seventh time on Monday.
 
In fifth place on the team leaderboard after the first round is Seattle Pacific, which shot a 314 collectively. Lauren J. Lee had a stellar showing in her second GNAC Championships event, posting a 1-over-par 73 to sit in third place alongside Minhas. Lee’s performance featured five birdies throughout her round, including three on an even-par 37 on the back-nine. SPU’s Zoe Garcia finished the day in fifth place on the leaderboard, shooting a 4-over-par 76 which included a 1-under-par 36 on the back-nine. “Lauren did a nice job controlling her distances,” said SPU head coach Tyler Copp. “She was always in a position to score, which kept her close to even-par for most of the round. Course management and club selection were also big reasons she’s in a nice spot after round one.”
 
Completing the team standings with a 334 on Monday was Northwest Nazarene, which sits in sixth place. Caroline Caven, the Nighthawks’ lone returner from last year’s championship lineup, was a bright spot on Monday with a 4-over-par 76 to sit tied for fifth place. Caven minimized her mistakes and highlighted her round with a birdie on the par-3, 127-yard sixth hole.
 
Second-round action begins at 8:58 a.m. (Pacific) on Tuesday morning. Live results and pairings for round two can be found online here.