May 7, 2009
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The No. 5 Auburn women's golf team is in 13th after 18 holes at the 2009 NCAA East Regional Championship after carding a 24-over-par 304 in the first round. Junior Candace Schepperle led the Tigers through the first round as she is currently tied for 14th with a 1-over-par 71.
Hosted by the University of Florida, the NCAA East Regional is a 54-hole stroke play event being played at the Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla. The par-70 course is playing at 6,023 yards for the tournament. At the conclusion of the tournament, the top eight teams will advance to the NCAA Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md.
"Today was not ideal for us," said Auburn head coach Kim Evans. "But, there is a lot of golf left out there. This is a course that we know really well and this team has responded at the right times this season, so we will see what will happen."
East Carolina leads the 21-team field after the first round with a 3-over-par 283. Alabama is one stroke behind in second place and Vanderbilt is three strokes back in third with a 6-over 286. Denver is in fourth at 7-over-par 287 while top-seeded Virginia is in fifth with a 10-over 290.
Rounding out the top eight is North Carolina in seventh (291) and Tulane and Tennessee in a tie for seventh at 12-over-par 292.
Individually, East Carolina's Abby Bools and Ana Marie Puche lead the way in a tie for first at 2-under-par 68. Seven other players are one stroke back at 1-under 69 with another four tied for 10th at even-par 70.
Schepperle finished the first day with a five-stroke lead over her nearest teammate as freshman Patricia Sanz finished the day second on the team, tying for 51st at 6-over-par 76. Sophomore Cydney Clanton is two strokes behind her, in a tie for 73rd with an 8-over 78.
Sophomore Sarah Thead and freshman Haley Wilson round out the Auburn lineup in a tie for 81st, carding 9-over-par 79s.
"Candace did a great job today and was very steady for the most part," said Evans. "She made the turn at 1-over and even got down under par after No. 14, but she had back-to-back bogies after that and finished out at 1-over."
With a weather forecast of highs near 90 and a slight wind on Friday, Evans said her team needs to take advantage of the optimum conditions in the second round.
"We have to just keep doing what we have done all season and take it a day at a time and a hole at a time," said Evans. "The conditions are supposed to be perfect tomorrow, should be a great day for golf. We have our game plan set, we just have to follow through."
Tee times for the second round begin at 6:30 a.m. CT off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees. Auburn will play with Virginia and Alabama with their tee times beginning at 11:40 a.m. CT off the No. 10 tee.
Fans can follow all the action with live scoring at www.GolfStat.com.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- First-round results from the 2009 NCAA East Regional Championship hosted by the University of Florida at the Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida. Par: 70. Yardage: 6,023.
TEAM SCORES
1 - East Carolina - 283--283 (+3)
2 - Alabama - 284--284 (+4)
3 - Vanderbilt - 286--286 (+6)
4 - Denver - 287--284 (+7)
5 - Virginia - 290--290 (+10)
6 - North Carolina - 291--291 (+11)
T7 - Tulane - 292--292 (+12)
T7 - Tennessee - 292--292 (+12)
9 - Georgia - 297--290 (+17)
10 - Duke - 298--298 (+18)
11 - Coastal Carolina - 301--301 (+21)
12 - College of Charleston - 302--302 (+22)
13 - Auburn - 304--304 (+24)
T14 - Florida - 305--305 (+25)
T14 - Furman - 305--305 (+25)
T16 - Florida State - 307--307 (+27)
T16 - Ole Miss - 307--307 (+27)
18 - South Carolina - 308--308 (+28)
T19 - Central Florida - 309--309 (+29)
T19 - Stetson - 309--309 (+29)
21 - Jackson State - 324--324 (+44)
TOP-10 INDIVIDUALS AND AUBURN PLAYERS
T1 - Abby Bools (East Carolina) - 68--68 (-2)
T1 - Ana Maria Puche (East Carolina) - 68--68 (-2)
T3 - Marina Alex (Vanderbilt) - 69--69 (-1)
T3 - Katie Kempter (Denver) - 69--69 (-1)
T3 - Camilla Lennarth (Alabama) - 69--69 (-1)
T3 - Nathalie Mansson (Tennessee) - 69--69 (-1)
T3 - Andrea Messer (Vanderbilt) - 69--69 (-1)
T3 - Catherine O'Donnell (North Carolina) - 69--69 (-1)
T3 - Stephanie Sherlock (Denver) - 69--69 (-1)
T10 - Susannah Aboff (Princeton) - 70--70 (E)
T10 - Janine Fellows (Tulane) - 70--70 (E)
T10 - Brooke Pancake (Alabama) - 70--70 (E)
T10 - Jessica Vincent (Coastal Carolina) - 70--70 (E)
T14 - Candace Schepperle (Auburn) - 71--71 (+1)
T51 - Patricia Sanz (Auburn) - 76--76 (+6)
T73 - Cydney Clanton (Auburn) - 78--78 (+8)
T81 - Sarah Thead (Auburn) - 79--79 (+9)
T81 - Haley Wilson (Auburn) - 79--79 (+9)