OXFORD, Pa. -- Kicking off the first ever Colonial Women's Golf Conference Championship at the Wyncote Golf Club in Oxford, Pennsylvania, the Christopher Newport women's golf team carded a 38-over 326 and sits in second place after the opening round. Rookie Gabi McGehee (+5) is just three strokes off the pace to lead the way for the Captains in third place. 

The inaugural championship tournament is the culminating event for the CWGC with six teams competing for the first ever conference crown. Babson (+18), ranked No. 22 in the nation, leads the team standings while the Beavers' Hannah McCarthy (+2) is atop the individual standings. In addition to the six competing teams, Carlow University and Penn State Altoona also entered individuals to compete for the conference medalist honors for the eight-team league founded in 2025-26. 

For Christopher Newport, it was McGehee, at five-over par, and Taylor Davis, at eight-over par, leading the way on day one. Julia Pelletier (+11) and Katie Watson (+14) rounded out the Captains scores as CNU has placed all four in the top-12 finishers after 18 holes.

McGehee signed for a five-over 77 which stands as her third finest single round score of the season. She is in third place after a dominant back nine in which she finished Even over her last 10 holes. The rookie for CNU had 12 pars and added two birdies; she dropped in a four on the 427-yard par five 10th hole and closed out the day with another four on the par five 18th, playing at a course-long 472 yards. 

Davis (+8) signed for a 40 on the front and a matching 40 on the back. She recorded five pars in the first eight holes and added four more on the back. Finishing strong, Davis sank a birdie putt on the 113-yard par three 15th and closed with three straight pars. 

Pelletier also had two birdies in the round and got the Captains started with a highlight when she rolled in a four on the first hole of the day, the 443-yard par five 1st. She also birdied the 151-yard par three 8th hole before stringing together four straight pars. 

Rounding out the CNU scoring was Watson, who had the best front nine score of the day for CNU. The veteran came out firing and was just two over at the turn courtesy of two birdies on the front nine. She carded a three on the 361-yard par four 2nd and closed the front nine with a four on the 422-yard par five 9th. 

The teams will return to the course on Tuesday to wrap up the 36-hole event and crown the first-ever conference champion of the CWGC. 

Note -- Freshman Maddie Cameron suffered disqualification due to a mishap on the front nine that saw her and Salisbury's Addison Sage play the incorrect ball.