WOODBURN, Ore. – The defending NAIA women's golf national champions opened the 2019-20 season in style by winning the Multnomah University Invitational Tuesday in Woodburn, Ore.

Ranked first in the NAIA Women's Golf Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll, the UBC Thunderbirds earned a 32-stroke win over Oregon Tech (635) by shooting a two-day score of 27-over par 603 (315-288). Corban (Ore.) was third at 65-over 641.
 

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Successful first win of the season with a Day 2 score of Even par (288), improving by 27 strokes from Day 1. Senior @katejohnston98 came back with an impressive 70 on Day 2. Also, new Freshman @juewxn shot even par along with Sophomore @estherlee99 the same day???? These ladies fought hard in the pouring rain and windy conditions?? ...and also took advantage of no tax in Oregon #SpotTheTrophy

A post shared by UBC Women's Golf (@ubcwgolf) on Sep 10, 2019 at 9:08pm PDT

All five UBC players captured a spot inside the top 10.

The highest-finishing T-Bird was rookie Jue Wen in her debut competition at the university level. The Toronto product tied for second with a score of 6-over 150 over two days at the Oregon Golf Association Golf Course.

Kate Johnston, a senior from Ayr, Ont., shot a final-day 2-under 70 to move into fifth place. She concluded the event at 8-over 152 after an opening-round 82.
 

Juniors Cecile Kwon (Maple Ridge, B.C.) and Shania Remandaban (Coquitlam, B.C.), and sophomore Esther Lee (Maple Ridge, B.C.) all tied for sixth with a final score of 9-over 153.

Kwon went 77-76 over two days, Remandaban had rounds of 79 and 74 while Lee opened with an 81 and then fired an even-par 72 to conclude the tournament.

UBC's next event will be its own Gail Moore Intercollegiate Sept. 23-24 at the Sudden Valley Golf Course in Bellingham, Wash.