College of Charleston tied for 18th at Cougar Classic

HANAHAN, S.C. – The College of Charleston women's golf team began is tied for 18th place after Sunday’s first day of play in the 10th annual Cougar Classic, competing against 10 of the top 15 teams from the 2012 NCAA Championship at historic Yeamans Hall Club.

The Cougars shot a 12-over par 300 playing with North Carolina, who shot an 11-over 299 and LSU, who shot a 15-over 303. Southern Cal is the tournament leader after round one with a 285 (-3). The top six teams are separated by just three shots going into Monday’s second round.

Isabelle Lendl from Florida and Marta Sanz of Auburn share the individual lead after first round scores of 67.

The Cougars were led by freshman Stacey Tomlinson, who carded a 1-over 73 and is tied for 33rd in the tournament. Senior Katharina Bohem shot a 2-over 74 and is tied for 49th.

CofC will return to action Monday as the second round begins at 7:50 a.m. with the Cougars teeing off at 12:35 p.m.

 

UNCG tied for 18th at Cougar Classic

HANAHAN, S.C. – UNCG sophomore golfer Fanny Cnops fired an even-par 72 Sunday afternoon on day one of the prestigious Cougar Classic at Yeamans Hall Club to sit in a tie for 20th place overall in the opening tournament of the 2012-13 season. The Spartans are tied for 18th as a team in the 24-team field that includes 15 of the top 20 ranked teams in NCAA Division I.

Cnops, the first player to ever be named Southern Conference Player and Freshman of the Year in the same season last year, opened her sophomore campaign five shots off the lead as Auburn’s Marta Sanz and Florida’s Isabelle Lendl posted 5-under 67s to lead the pack.

Cnops started on the 10th hole and came out quickly posting four birdies to card a 4-under on her first nine holes. Her pace slowed on the front nine as she recorded five bogeys and one birdie to finish at even par.

Sophomore Berglind Bjornsdottir fired a 2-over 74 to sit in a tie for 49th place in the tournament. Bjornsdottir posted a 2-over on her first nine holes before shooting  even par on holes one through nine for the 74 score.

Senior Courtney Taylor is tied for 60th with a 3-over par 75, while freshmen Samantha Buchanan and Lily Crane posted scores of 79 and 81, respectively, in their first round of collegiate golf.

 

The Spartans posted a 300 as a team in the opening round, besting their opening round of 305 from last year in the tournament. Southern California leads the tournament after posting a 285 on day one, while Duke, Virginia and Florida are tied for second at 286.

 

Furman tied for 21st at Cougar Classic

HANAHAN, S.C. – Senior Laura Wearn carded an opening-round 71 to share 13th place and pace the Furman women’s golf team to a 15-over, 303 through 18 holes on Sunday at the Cougar Classic at the par-72 Yeamans Hall Golf Club. The Paladins are tied for 21st as a team.

Wearn, starting at No. 10 in the opening round, birdied three holes on her front nine and recovered from a double bogey at No. 2 with back-to-back birdies at holes five and six to rally for a one-under 71.  The Charlotte, N.C., native is four strokes back of first round-leaders Isabelle Lendl (-5) of Florida and Marta Sanz (-5) of Auburn after 18 holes in the 54-hole tournament.

Furman freshman Valentina Romero (+3) birdied her final hole, the par-five No. 9, to shoot a first-round 75 in her first collegiate round, while junior Aubrie Street posted a six-over 78 on Sunday.

Southern California grabbed a one-stroke lead with a three-under 285. Duke, Virginia and Florida are tied for second place at two-under par entering Monday’s second round.

The Paladins are set to begin second round play from the No. 1 tee at 7:50 a.m. on Monday with final round action slated for Tuesday morning.


Catamounts in eighth at Golfweek Program Challenge

PAWLEY'S ISLAND, S.C. - Western Carolina opened its 2012-13 season with a team score of 314 on Sunday afternoon to stand tied for eighth entering Monday's second round of the Golfweek Program Challenge at the par 71, 6,003-yard Caledonia Golf & Fish Club. The Catamounts stood tied with Northern Iowa after the first round.

Sophomore Maria Kjelldorff paced the Catamounts with a five-over 76 on Sunday afternoon. Starting on the back nine, the Saltsjobaden, Sweden, native made the turn at three-over par after a bogey on the par-4 12th before a double-bogey on the par-4 16th. Kjelldorff scored birdie on the first hole of the back nine before a double-bogey and a bogey on two and three before shooting even par the final six holes of her round.

True freshman Mariah Hopkins was one-stroke in arrears at six-over 77. Her first collegiate round saw her shoot par on 10 holes with seven bogeys and a birdie on the par-4 first hole. Rounding out WCU's side were sophomore Sofie Kvarnstrom with a nine-over 80, freshman Taylor Allison (81, +10) and senior Michelle Bello (83, +12).

Campbell leads the 12-team women's field by 14 strokes over second-place Boston College, putting all five golfers inside the individual top 16 to shoot 286. Boston College (300) was followed by Troy (301), James Madison (202) and Central Arkansas (304) to round out the top five after 18 holes.

Play continues Monday and Tuesday in the season-opening event.