Furman tied for seventh at Lady Paladin Invitational
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Furman women’s golf team is tied for seventh after the completion of the first round of the 44th Lady Paladin Invitational at the par-72, 6,313-yard Furman University Golf Course.
Furman junior Taylor Totland (+3) recorded birdies on Nos. 8 and No. 13 to tie for 24th with an opening-round 75. Sophomore Alice Chen (+4), senior Valentina Romero (+4), and freshman Haylee Harford (+4) all carded a 76 on Sunday to enter the second round tied for 40th. Chen led the Paladins with four birdies on Sunday, including three on the back nine, while Harford added birdies on No. 5 and the par-3 No. 14. Rookie Annika Bovender (+6) tallied a 78 in her first round of collegiate play.
Sophomores Jacqueline Bendrick (+5) and Reona Hirai (+5) each scored a 77 on Sunday, playing as individuals. The Paladin duo is tied for 46th, while junior Macy McRaney (+8) is also playing as an individual and is tied for 71st after the opening round.
Clemson (+2) leads the field after carding an opening-round 290. Clemson freshman Alice Hewson (-5) paced the field with an opening-round 67, breaking the Lady Paladin record for best opening-round total by one stroke, to grab a three-stroke lead over Missouri’s Michelle Butler (-2).
The teams at this year’s tournament are again participating in Birdies for Water to benefit Golf Fore Africa, a 501 (c)(3) founded in 2006 by Furman golf alumna and LPGA Hall of Famer Betsy King. To date, GFA has raised over 2.5 million dollars to fund projects in Rwanda, Lesotho, Kenya, Mali, Niger and Zambia. Currently Golf Fore Africa is raising $2 million to bring clean water, improved sanitation and hygiene education to over 100 villages in rural Zambia.
Each team at the tournament has been invited to raise money by securing flat donations and pledges for each birdie their team members record during the tournament, with a goal of raising $30,000. Last year, teams at the Lady Paladin Invitational raised almost $30,000, with the Furman team raising over $10,000, eclipsing the tournament goal of $15,000, the amount needed to bring clean water, improved sanitation and hygiene education to one village.
To sponsor the Furman women’s golf team in this endeavor, go to http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/furman-paladins/lady-paladin-invitationals-birdies-for-water-event or email coach Kelley Hester at Kelley.Hester@Furman.edu.
Second round play is set to tee off at 8:51 a.m. on Monday with final round play slated for Tuesday. Furman will tee off of No. 1 at 8:51 a.m. on Monday.
ETSU tied for seventh at Lady Paladin Invitational
GREENVILLE, S.C. – ETSU finished day one by shooting a 303 on the first 18 holes at the 2015 Lady Paladin. The Bucs are off to a good start in a power-packed field, and Linda Dobele and Hee Ying Loy are leading the way for the Bucs by each shooting a 74.
ETSU is now tied for seventh with the reigning champion of the tournament, Furman University. Furman is also the reigning women’s Southern Conference tournament champion and is the 32nd-ranked team in the nation, according to GolfStat.
Dobele is leading the pack for the Bucs by shooting 2-over-par, and Loy matched her with the same score. Rachel Pollock is just three shots behind her teammates as she finished the first round with a 77.
Leading the tournament is the Clemson Tigers. The Tigers have shot 2-over-par collectively. The Bucs are just 13 shots away from matching the Tigers.
ETSU will start its second day at Furman on Monday with tee times starting at 8:51 a.m. and ending at 9:27 a.m. for the Bucs.
The Citadel finishes 11th at Chesapeake Bay Invitational
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Citadel women’s golf team concluded competition at the Chesapeake Bay Invitational on Sunday, finishing 11th overall.
Eraina Manor finished the tournament tied for 25th after shooting an 86 on Sunday. The senior would finish 23-over-par. Cameron Little had the best round for the Bulldogs on Sunday, recording an 81. Little finished with a 249 total for the weekend. Freshman Marina Grimal had the second-best score for The Citadel on Sunday with an 84. Grimal shot 269 in her first collegiate tournament.
Pennsylvania recorded the best scores as a team with three players finishing in the top 10. The Quakers shot a 925 on the weekend and were followed closely by Towson, which shot 930.
Emma Hjarne of Towson recorded the lowest score individually for the tournament, shooting a 225. Hjarne was plus-9 on the weekend.
The Bulldogs return to action next weekend when they compete in the Sand Shark Shootout in Bluffton, South Carolina, Sunday through Tuesday.