Furman, Ekey In Fourth At NCAA East Regional
Baton Rouge, La. ? Kathleen Ekey posted a one-under-par 71 and Furman fired a two-over-par 290 to remain in contention for a berth in the NCAA Championships during second round action Friday at the NCAA East Regional at the 6,403-yard University Club in Baton Rouge, La.
Ekey (67-71=138), a sophomore from Wadsworth, Ohio, enters Saturday’s final 18 holes in a tie for fourth place just four strokes off of the pace.
Blair Lamb (71-72=143) remained at one-under for the tournament with an even par second round while Theresa Paik (71-73=144) carded a one-over-par
73 on Friday morning. Corrine Carr (75-74=149) rounded out Furman’s scorers with a two-over 74.
Lamb birdied five holes on the way to her even-par round while Ekey and Ashley Baker (82-76=158) each notched four birdies on Friday.
UCLA maintained the team lead with a 283 to move to 12-under-par. The Bruins’ Sydnee Michaels (66-68=134) lengthened her individual lead as she improved to 10-under after 36 holes.
Final round action is set for Saturday at the University Club with the top eight teams advancing to the NCAA Championships in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The Lady Paladins will tee-off of the 10th tee Saturday at 8:10 a.m.
4 Furman 284 290 574
T4 Kathleen Ekey 67 71 138
T16 Blair Lamb 71 72 143
T20 Theresa Paik 71 73 144
T62 Corrine Carr 75 74 149
101 Ashley Baker 82 76 158
Western Carolina Women’s Golf Slips to 19th at NCAA East Regional
Baton Rouge, La. ? Western Carolina shot 308 as a team on Friday at the University Club, slipping to 19th overall at the NCAA Women’s Golf East Regional. Freshman Desiree Karlsson shot a two-over, 146, to fall into a tie for 40th to lead the Catamounts individually at the post-season tournament.
Western Carolina still has an opportunity at its best-ever three-round score in the NCAA tournament, needing to shoot 304 as a squad to tie the program’s all-time low of 913 set back at the 2003 East Regional. The Catamounts will also be gunning for their best placement in the post-season tournament, finishing 16th in their only other appearance.
First-round, co-leader Sydnee Michaels of UCLA continues to lead, shooting 68 on Friday to stand two-strokes ahead of second-place Nannette Hill of Wake Forest, 134-to-136. Cindy LaCrosse of Louisville is third, with Kathleen Ekey (Furman), Aruka Felgueroso (Coastal Carolina), Nicole Hage (Auburn), Tiffany Joh (UCLA) and Caroline Westrup of Florida State all tied for fourth at 138.
With two individuals in the top four, UCLA leads the 21-team field with a 12-under, 564, to lead second-place Wake Forest by four strokes and top-seeded Duke (572) eight strokes in arrears. Southern Conference member, Furman, ranks fourth with a two-day score of 574, two-under par, with Purdue, Auburn and Louisville all tied for fifth.
Karlsson was nearly even par the majority of the day, posting three bogies and one birdie with the rest holed out in regulation to card the two-over, 74. The Swedish rookie will need to shoot at least one-over in Saturday’s final round to tie WCU’s lowest NCAA individual 54-hole tournament score of 219 carded by Brandy Andersen in 2003.
Junior Malin Fryk posted three bogies aside, birdying the 17th to finish the back nine at two-over and conclude the second round with a five-over, 77, to slip into a tie for 79th. After shooting six-over on the back nine, including a double-bogey on the par 5 17th, freshman Elin Mickelsson recovered to shoot one-over on the front nine with one bogey to finish the day tied for 87th at 155 through the first two rounds.
Rounding out Western’s golfers individually were senior Bianca Melone, who matched her first-round score of 78 on Friday to stand tied for 92nd (78-78=156), with junior Kandy Carland shooting 79 for a two-round total of 157 to stand just inside the top 100, tied for 98th.
Carland will be the first Catamount to tee off in Saturday’s final round, taking to the course at 1:20 pm on the front nine, concluding with Karlsson at 2:00 pm.
Cougars 16th after Second Round of NCAA East Regional
Megan Miller shot a 71 in the second round to jump to a tie for 20th as the College of Charleston women’s golf team finished 16th after 36 holes of the NCAA East Regional being held this week at the University Club in Baton Rouge, La. UCLA shot a 564 to place first, while Wake Forest shot a 568 for second.
Charleston totaled a 595 after the two rounds.
UCLA’s Sydnee Michaels leads the tournament with her 134 after firing a 68 in today’s round.
Following Miller and her 144 in two rounds is Steffi Kirchmayr who is tied for 47th with a 147. Tied for 76th is Emily Rapp with a 151 and in 86th is Dinah Plyler with her 154. Rounding out the Cougar effort is Fiona Puyo, who is tied for 92nd with a 156.
Charleston tees off beginning at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in third and final round action.