Gaby López and Brooke Matthews reached 7 under, while Reagan Zibilski made the cut in her first LPGA Tour start at 6 under. Maria Fassi and amateur Maria José Marin finished outside a 4-under cut line after a low-scoring Saturday at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
Razorback Sunday: Three Arkansas Players Survive a Demanding Cut at Pinnacle
The Arkansas presence at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship has been reduced, but it remains meaningful entering Sunday.
Three of the five Razorbacks or Razorback-connected players in the field made the 36-hole cut: former Arkansas stars Gaby López and Brooke Matthews at 7 under, plus sponsor invite Reagan Zibilski at 6 under in her LPGA Tour debut.
Maria Fassi and current Arkansas amateur Maria José Marin did not advance. Fassi finished at 1 under after rounds of 71 and 70. Marin responded to a difficult first round with a 3-under 68 Saturday, but her even-par total was not enough in a tournament where the cut settled at 4 under.
Seventy players advanced to Sunday, a reminder of the extraordinary scoring pace at Pinnacle Country Club. In a traditional golf week, a pair of rounds around par may keep a player close to the cut. This week, it took 4 under simply to secure another tee time.
López and Matthews Lead the Arkansas Board
López and Matthews are both 7 under through two rounds, putting them in the strongest Arkansas position heading into the final round.
For López, Sunday provides a chance to turn a consistent week into a high finish. The former Razorback opened with a 5-under 66, and she said after Friday’s round that the scoring conditions required patience despite the volume of birdie opportunities.
“I feel that it demands a lot of patience because there is a lot of birdie opportunities out there and everyone is making them,” López told 4 Star Sports Media. Her formula was clear.
“Stay patient and be aggressive and stay committed,” she said.
That approach will remain relevant Sunday. Yuna Nishimura leads at 16 under, so López is not likely to begin the day in direct title position. But a low final round could still move her substantially in a field where players separated themselves quickly Saturday.
Matthews carries a different Arkansas story. The Rogers native is playing near home, giving the final-round gallery a local player to follow. She began the tournament with a 2-under 69 and hit 14 greens in regulation Friday. Her 7-under total has positioned her alongside López and given Arkansas fans another player capable of producing a strong final-round finish.
For Matthews, Sunday is about turning a solid hometown week into a statement result. A red-number round would allow her to leave Pinnacle with more than a made-cut story; it would create a finish the local crowd can carry into the offseason.
Zibilski Extends a Full-Circle Debut
Zibilski begins Sunday at 6 under after rounds of 67 and 69, one shot behind López and Matthews. Her place in the Sunday field is significant because this is her first LPGA Tour start. The former Razorback entered the week as a sponsor invite, carried the nerves of an LPGA debut and still posted two consecutive rounds in the 60s.
After Friday’s 67, Zibilski described the week as a full-circle experience.
“Obviously the nerves were a little high just being an LPGA event, being my first one,” she said. “Also going to school just down the road.”
She said having family, friends and former teammates following her at Pinnacle mattered deeply.
“It means so much to me having my family and friends out here supporting me,” Zibilski said. “It’s a full-circle moment.”
Her final-round goal is simple: keep the ball in play, continue hitting greens and stay composed. She made seven birdies in Round 1 and followed with a steadier Round 2 built around 14 greens in regulation.
Sunday will not change the fact that she already made an impression. But another low round would give her a memorable finish to a debut in front of the fan base that knows her best.
Fassi and Marin Leave With Different Positives
Fassi’s 71-70 week did not produce a Sunday tee time, but she finished in red figures at 1 under. Marin’s 74-68 response was one of the stronger Arkansas score improvements of Saturday.
Marin’s 68 showed resilience after a difficult first round. The current Razorback improved by six shots, but the low-scoring environment left too much ground to recover. Her even-par total remained four shots outside the cut.
The Arkansas board is now smaller, but Sunday still offers three distinct stories: López chasing a high finish, Matthews playing a home-course finale and Zibilski closing an LPGA debut that already feels full circle.
