The Missouri women's golf stayed within reach of a quarterfinal bid during the opening round of the SEC Championship on Wednesday, shooting a 296.

The 296 tally is a 10-stroke improvement over the opening day score from last season and the third-best first-round for the Tigers in their 10th year competing at the conference tournament. Overall, Mizzou is in 13th place but just two strokes behind one of the eight quarterfinal match play bids.

Junior Emily Staples and freshman Jade Zamora led the Tigers on Wednesday. Staples had a clean scorecard, collecting 15 pars with one birdie and just two bogyes to sit in 18th place overall for Mizzou. Zamora matched her teammate with a +1 and top-20 ranking by recording an MU-best five birdies.

The duo was followed by Kate Bibby and Melanie Walker at +3 and Sky Sload at +5.

Day two of the three-round stroke play is set for Thursday morning with an 8:20 a.m. tee time.