Former Razorback Gaby López shot a 5-under 66 to sit three shots off the lead after Round 1 of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, while Reagan Zibilski and Rogers native Brooke Matthews also opened in red numbers.
Razorbacks at Pinnacle: López Leads Arkansas’ Opening-Round Charge
Gaby López gave Arkansas its clearest championship connection Friday, but she was far from the only Razorback-related player to create a storyline in the opening round at Pinnacle Country Club.
López shot a 5-under 66, putting the former Arkansas standout three shots behind leader Yuna Nishimura entering Saturday’s second round. Reagan Zibilski followed at 4-under after a 67, while Rogers native Brooke Matthews opened at 2-under 69. Maria Fassi began at even par, and current Arkansas All-American Maria José Marin started at 3 over.
For a tournament carrying a $3 million purse and featuring 144 players, the Arkansas representation is substantial. The field includes former Razorbacks López, Matthews, Fassi and Zibilski, plus Marin, the current Arkansas All-American and 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion.
López’s score created the most immediate title-race interest. She made five birdies, one bogey, hit 11 greens in regulation and used 25 putts in a polished 66. Starting on No. 10, she played six straight pars before birdies at Nos. 16 and 17 launched her into red numbers. She added birdies at Nos. 2, 7 and 8 after the turn.
Her score did not put her near the top by accident. It was the product of controlled golf on a day when the course rewarded players willing to create birdie looks but punished anyone who assumed pars would be enough.
López told 4 Star Sports Media that the challenge is managing the temptation created by a low-scoring leaderboard.
“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 said. “So being able to kind of bubble up, stay patient and be aggressive and stay committed.”
Zibilski’s 67 may have been the day’s most volatile Arkansas score. She made seven birdies, demonstrating that she can produce the scoring volume necessary at Pinnacle. Her day was held back by a double bogey at No. 18, but she still enters Saturday at 4 under and inside the tournament’s broader chase group.
The second round will test whether Zibilski can separate the seven-birdie potential from the late-round mistake. If she can replicate the aggressive portion of Friday’s card while limiting damage, she has room to move toward the leaders.
Matthews’ 69 was steadier. The Rogers native hit 14 greens in regulation, giving her the strongest greens-hit total among the Arkansas players reviewed from Friday. She made four birdies and two bogeys, producing a reliable start at a home event where the local gallery offers a distinct source of support.
Matthews will not need to change everything Saturday. Her formula is already visible: continue hitting greens, give herself repeated opportunities, and convert a few more of those chances. At a tournament where scores in the mid-60s were common near the top, her path upward likely depends on the putter turning more opportunities into birdies.
Fassi’s even-par 71 carried a different message. She made six birdies, a total that proves she can generate the scoring needed to climb quickly. But she also made five bogeys, preventing her from turning that birdie production into a red number. Saturday is a clean-up round for Fassi: fewer mistakes, same aggression.
Marin opened at 3 over, leaving her with the most urgent Saturday assignment among the Arkansas group. The current Razorback hit 11 fairways and 11 greens in regulation in the first round and made four sand saves in five attempts. The ball-striking and recovery work showed promise, but 30 putts and a difficult late stretch kept her from converting those positives into a lower score.
The cut line arrives after Saturday’s round, meaning players such as Fassi and Marin will spend the afternoon playing both for position and for access to Sunday. López, Zibilski and Matthews begin from stronger spots, but all five Arkansas-connected players have a distinct reason to remain part of the conversation.
López is chasing a title chance. Zibilski is trying to validate a birdie-filled opener. Matthews is looking for a hometown move. Fassi needs a cleaner version of a high-upside game. Marin is seeking the kind of response that can turn an opening-round setback into a weekend opportunity.
That is the Arkansas board entering Saturday: one player close to the lead, two more in red figures, and several different paths toward a meaningful second round.
