SAMFORD WOMEN’S GOLF TAKES COMMANDING LEAD AT BSC ANN RHOADS INVITATIONAL
--- The Bulldogs head into Monday’s final round with a 15-stroke advantage ---
CALERA, Ala. --- The Samford University women’s golf team opened its 2009 spring season in impressive fashion Sunday as the Bulldogs built a dominant 15-stroke lead at the Birmingham-Southern College Ann Rhoads Invitational held at Timberline Golf Course.
Samford continued its stellar play during the 2008-09 campaign as the Bulldogs put themselves in position to win their second tournament of the season. During the fall, Samford competed in five tournaments and turned in four top-five finishes.
The Samford University women’s golf team will close out play in the 2009 BSC Ann Rhoads Invitational on Monday at 8:45 a.m., as the Bulldogs look to maintain their first-place position at Timberline Golf Course in Calera, Ala.
Elon Opens Spring at Kiawah Island Classic
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. ? Frederique Bruell fashioned a five-over-par 77 as Elon opened its spring season tied for 29th place in the 43-team field after the first round of the three-day, three-round Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic women’s golf tournament Sunday afternoon at the Cougar Point and Oak Point Golf Clubs.
The Phoenix (328 after 18 holes) will enter second-round action Monday morning, tied with Old Dominion (328) and leading Winthrop (329), Richmond (330), Kennesaw State (331), Southern Methodist (333), Cincinnati (334), USC Upstate (334), Missouri State (334), Marshall (339), Southern Illinois (341), Bradley (344), Wofford (347), Mercer (350) and The Citadel (352) in the 54-hole event.
Miami (300), East Tennessee State (300), Oral Roberts (303), Mississippi (305), Western Carolina (306), Central Florida (306), host College of Charleston (307), Florida (309), Nebraska (309), Central Arkansas (310), Oregon (310), Middle Tennessee State (311), Mississippi State (311), UNC Wilmington (311) and Kentucky (312) earned the top-15 positions after the opening round.
Maryland (313) landed in 16th place after the first day, followed by South Florida (314), Jacksonville State (314), Augusta State (315), Longwood (316), William and Mary (318), Toledo (319), Oregon State (319), Illinois State (320), Texas State (320), Charleston Southern (322), Bucknell (325) and Ball State (326).
Bruell pulled into a tie for 35th place in the 215-athlete field. Elon also received scores from Danielle Mills (Tied-84th place/80), Tara McFadden (Tied-139th/84), Kelsey Johnson (Tied-167th/87) and Dani Mullin (Tied-179th/88).
Lady Mocs in 15th After Round One at Wildcat Invitational
PUERTO PENASCO, Mexico---It was a tough day for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s golf team against a power-packed field at the Wildcat Invitational Sunday shooting an opening round 318 (+30) to stand in 15th place. The Lady Mocs trail No. 3 UCLA by 31 shots at the Peninsula Golf Club in Puerto Penasco, Mexico.
Freshman Maria Salinas shot the low round of the day for Chattanooga with a five-over par 77. She is tied for 37th in a field that boasts five top 10 teams, including the top three ranked teams in the nation, along with five others in the top 25. UTC entered the event ranked No. 40.
Sophomores Emma de Groot and Christine Wolf each shot 80 (+8) and are tied for 64th one shot ahead of freshman Moa Duf at 81, tied for 69th. Maria Juliana Loza carded an 86 and is in 83rd.
UCLA’s one-under par 287 leads top-ranked Arizona State by eight shots in second and is nine shots clear of No. 13 Denver in third. ASU’s Juliana Murcia shot the day’s low round with a five-under par 67 to lead Stephanie Kono (UCLA) and Pia Halbig (Cal) by two shots.
The Lady Mocs will tee off beginning at 8:45 a.m. (PST) Monday morning off of the 10th hole in round two of three. Maju Loza will lead the squad off as Chattanooga plays with Washington and UNLV.
Kirchmayr Leads Cougars to Seventh after Day One of Kiawah Island Classic
Kiawah Island, S.C. -- Steffi Kirchmayr fired a 73 to lead the College of Charleston women's golf team to seventh with a 307 after the first round of the Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic being held Feb. 22-24 at Cougar and Oak Point on Kiawah Island, S.C. Miami and East Tennessee State fired a 300 each to lead after the first 18 holes.
The top nine teams in the first round played Cougar Point today, and will all square off at Oak Point Monday.
Following the Hurricanes and Buccaneers are Oral Roberts in third with a 303 and Mississippi with a 305. Western Carolina and UCF round out the top five with a 306 apiece.
UCF's Stephanie Connelly leads the tournament with a 70, while Nebraska's Mary Kate Bird, UNC WIlmington's Sofia Hagsund and Miami's Begona Sarabia shot a 72 each to sit tied for second.
Kirchmayr is tied for fifth with her 73 for the Cougars. Leigh Whittaker is tied for 26th with a 76, while Fiona Puyo and Courtney Brink are tied for 64th with a 79 each. Emily Rapp is tied for 84th with her 80 on the day. Competing as an individual, Gabi Zuber is tied for 134th with an 83.
All the teams swap courses for the second round, with the Cougars playing Oak Point beginning at 10:25 A.M. from hole 10.
Team Results
Miami, U. of -300
East Tennessee St. -300
Oral Roberts Univ. -303
Mississippi, U. of -305
Western Carolina U. -306
UCF -306
Charleston, Coll. of -307
Florida, U of -309
Nebraska, U. of -309
Central Arkansas -310
Oregon, U. of -310
Middle Tennessee State -311
Mississippi St. U. -311
UNC Wilmington -311
Kentucky, U. of -312
Maryland, U. of -313
South Florida -314
Jacksonville St. -314
Augusta State -315
Longwood University -316
Wm. & Mary, Coll. of -318
Toledo, U. of -319
Oregon State U. -319
Illinois State Univ. -320
Texas State -320
Charleston Southern -322
Bucknell University -325
Ball State -326
Elon University -328
Old Dominion -328
Winthrop University -329
Richmond -330
Kennesaw State -331
Southern Methodist -333
Cincinnati, U. of -334
USC Upstate -334
Missouri State -334
Marshall University -339
Southern Illinois U. -341
Bradley University -344
Wofford College -347
Mercer University -350
Citadel, The -352
WCU Women’s Golf Tied for Fifth after First Round of Spring-Opening Edwin Watts / Kiawah Island Classic
Freshman Blaire Minter leads WCU in a tie for 19th after first 18 holes
Kiawah Island, S.C. ? Western Carolina carded an opening team round of 306 on Sunday to stand in a two-way tie for fifth out of the 43-team field at the Edwin Watts / Kiawah Island Classic. Freshman Blaire Minter led the five Catamount scorers with a three-over 75 to stand tied for 19th after the first round.
The event, which is officially the largest regular season tournament in women’s collegiate golf, is being played at Kiawah Island Resort’s Cougar Point and Oak Point courses, with Western opening on the par 72, 6,009-yard Cougar Point course on Sunday.
WCU’s second round will be played Monday at the par 72, 5,907-yard Oak Point Course, which held a 4.49 higher stroke average from Sunday’s opening round (79.71 at Cougar Point; 84.20 at Oak Point).
The Edwin Watts / Kiawah Island Classic is unique as there will be a cut line of sorts for the event. Each team will play one round on Cougar Point and one round on Oak Point before a cut after two rounds. The top 22 teams after Monday’s second round will play Cougar Point for the tournament championship, while the bottom 21 teams will be playing Oak Point for a flight championship.
With WCU starting on the tenth hole of the Cougar Point course, Minter moved to one-under after a birdie on the par 5, 475-yard 11th. However, three bogeys on the par 3, No. 12; par 5, No. 15 and par 4, No. 17 left the Marietta, Ga., native at two over at the turn. Minter suffered a bogey on the par 4, No. 4 before finishing the round with five-straight pars to shoot 75.
Sophomore Josephine Sundh overcame back-to-back bogies on the 10th and 11th and a double-bogey on the par 4, 354-yard 13th with consecutive birdies on the par 4, 16th and 17th to make the turn at three over. She had one additional bogey on the front nine to shoot 76, just six strokes off the overall lead.
Freshman Rachel Nelson posted 11 pars, one birdie and six bogeys on her round to stand tied for 35th with a five-over, 77, while junior Desiree Karlsson was one-stroke back at 78 following an up-and-down round. The Ljunghusen, Sweden, native finished with a team-best four birdies ? two on each nine ? which is tied for fifth in the tourney, but had to overcome four bogeys and three doubles on her round.
Junior Elin Mickelsson, seeing her first competitive action since mid-October after missing the fall finale due to injury, rounded out WCU’s first round scores with an 81. The Gavle, Sweden, native leads the tournament in par 3 scoring, tied with 10 others at 2.75, or one-under.
Western Carolina’s first golfer, Mickelsson, will tee off at 9:41 am on Monday, with the five Catamounts going sequentially through Minter at 10:25 on the first hole of the Oak Point Course. The third and final round locked in with a shotgun start on Tuesday depending upon seeding.