SALT LAKE CITY — Maria Jose "MJ" Barragan didn't have much time to think about her eighth-place finish in her final collegiate golf meet of the season at the NCAA's Louisville regional.
The BYU junior had a flight to catch.
Barragan got to her hotel room in Hurricane, Utah, around 1 a.m. MT, took a shower, and made it to the course for a 7:52 a.m. MDT tee time at the Copper Rock Championship in Hurricane, Utah.
Barragan fired a pair of birdies to finish at 2-over-par 74 through 18 holes Thursday, two shots above the projected cut line at Copper Rock Golf Course. Australia's Caitlin Pierce carded 8-under 64 to take the early lead, two shots ahead of Americans Samantha Wagner and Lindsey McCurdy Peek and Canada's Mary Parsons — who shot at career-low 66 among 11 golfers to shoot 4-under or better.
Barragan earned an exemption to the Beehive State's Epson Tour event in January, when she finished as the low amateur at the Copper Rock Championship two-day qualifier. She held off teammate Sunbin Seo in a playoff to earn the exemption for the annual May tournament on the women's professional golf developmental circuit.
And after a junior campaign where the native of Morelia, Mexico played in 33 events with nine top-10 finishes including the 2025 USF Invitational title and a 73.81 scoring average, Barragan has been used to playing a lot of golf — so Thursday didn't necessarily sneak up on her.
"I'm so very tired," she told Epson Tour officials. "I have hit a lot of balls in the last three days. So just try to take it a shot at a time, focus on every hole and every single shot while recharging my energy."
Salem Hills junior Navy Hubbs shot 1-under 71 that included a eagle on the par-4 third hole and three birdies on her second nine to finish tied for 40th and in position to make the cut at the weekend. She'll tee off at 2:10 p.m. MT Friday with a chance to advance.
Barragan, too, will have a little more time to prepare for Friday's second round. She'll tee off at 12:42 p.m. MT.
"Tomorrow, I'm going to be rested," she said. "I have a late tee time. So I'm going to take a nap, come back and putt, and then try to recharge my body."
