Chattanooga sixth at Kiawah Island Classic
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – The Chattanooga Mocs women’s golf team is sixth after 18 holes at Kiawah Island Resort. The Mocs shot 297 on Cougar Point on Sunday and shift to Oak Point on Monday.
Chattanooga is just two shots behind fifth-place UNF at 295. It was led by junior Agathe Sauzon, who fired an even-par 72 Sunday. Sauzon recorded two birdies, two bogeys and 14 pars. She is just three shots behind the leading trio of Anna Kim (St. John’s), Taylor McGraw (Troy) and Wad Phaewchimplee (Kent State), who each turned in 3-under-par 69s.
Jordan Britt is just one shot behind Sauzon, tied for 14th with a 73. She had one more bogey than her fellow Southern Conference champion teammate. Britt won medalist honors in 2012, followed by Sauzon last year.
Emily McLennan came back from a tough start. She was plus-5 through seven holes before shooting 1-under on the back nine, coming in with a 75. Isabella Loza posted a 77 to complete the team scoring.
Troy holds a slim one-stroke advantage at the top of the leaderboard. The Trojans’ 291 is a shot clear of Jacksonville State, Kent State and St. John’s in second at 292.
The Mocs head over to Oak Point for Monday’s second round.
Elon tied for ninth at Kiawah Island Classic
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – Participating in the largest NCAA Division I women's golf tournament in the nation, the Elon squad fired a first-round 301 to sit in a tie for ninth following the first round of the Kiawah Island Classic hosted by College of Charleston.
The Phoenix was paced by Emily Brooks, who notched a 2-over-par 74 over her first 18 holes of spring action. Brooks' mark has her in a tie for 23rd out of the 192 participants. She began her day on the back nine, where she birdied the par-3 14th hole. Brooks would later birdie the par-5 fifth.
In a tie for 35th are a pair of Elon golfers, Sunna Vidisdottir and Kelsey Badmaev, who both carded rounds of 75. Vidisdottir, who missed part of the fall season due to injury, was even-par on all but three holes on the day. Badmaev, who also started on the back nine, birdied the par-four 16th hole. She was even-par on her first eight holes of the front nine but finished her round with a birdie on the par-5 ninth hole.
Katie Partridge posted a 77 on day one and sits in a tie for 62nd. Partridge birdied both the par-3 14th and the par-4 fifth holes on the day.
Finally, Taylor Wilkerson shot a first-round 88 to tie for 160th. Wilkerson had one birdie, on the par-4 16th hole.
Competing as an individual, Elon's Kathryn Buckingham also shot a 77 to tie for 62nd. She had birdies on the 15th and ninth holes, both par-4s.
Elon shares ninth place with Delaware and Arkansas State, but is one stroke back of High Point and Penn State, who are tied for seventh.
Buchanan one shot off lead, UNCG tied for 17th at Kiawah Island Classic
GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG sophomore golfer Sammie Buchanan fired a 2-under-par 70 and sits in a tie for fourth place, just one shot off the lead, after one round of the 54-hole Kiawah Island Classic on Sunday. Buchanan’s play helped the Spartans place in a tie for 17th in the highly competitive 36-team event that takes places on two different courses, the Oak Point Golf Club and the Cougar Point Golf Club, and is hosted by the College of Charleston.
Buchanan is tied with Maya Persons of Jacksonville State and is just one shot behind a trio of leaders that posted a 3-under-par 69. Her 2-under-par 70 is the lowest score of the day posted on the Oak Point Golf Club course and she is the only player in the top 14 that played the Oak Point course, as the other golfers in the top 14 played on the Cougar Point course.
Buchanan was consistent all day long, recording three birdies and just one bogey to go along with her 14 par scores.
Junior Berglind Bjornsdottir was the Spartans’ second finisher with a 2-over-par 74. Bjornsdottir sits in a tie for 23rd place, just five shots off the lead. She posted a team-high four birdie on the day. Freshman Kristin Powers was the third top scorer for UNCG on Sunday, as she finished with an 8-over 80 score.
UNCG sits in a tie for 17th place with a 312 score, matching the effort of William & Mary and Wyoming.