Oct. 9, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The No. 3 Auburn women's golf team logged an 8-over 296 scorecard after the opening day of the 34th annual Tar Heel Invitational, landing the team in the middle of the pack at eighth place.
Leading the field is fifth-ranked Michigan State with its 3-under 285 opening round.
Hosted by the University of North Carolina, the Tar Heel Invitational is a 54-hole tournament being played at the par-72, 6,285 yard UNC Finley Golf Course. The three-day event features nine teams within the GolfWorld top-25 and four teams in the top-15.
"For the day, we got off to a slow start," head coach Kim Evans noted. "A lot of great things happened, but when it came down to finishing, we didn't get it done."
Senior Candace Schepperle, the only Auburn player to record a sub-par round, carded a team-best 1-under 71 to start the tournament and is in a tie for fifth place individually. Finding a birdie on the first hole, Schepperle did not find another until the back nine, where she tallied two more birdies and two bogies to enter the clubhouse at 1-under.
"Candace had some struggles on the front nine, but her short game pulled her through," Evans said. "And then on the back, she made some great initial shots and struggled on the greens just a bit, but she played a solid round for us today."
Following Schepperle, junior Cydney Clanton, even par after 15 holes, found trouble on the final three of the day, bogeying 16 and 18. Clanton birdied number 17 to keep her at just one-over par for the first round and in a tie for 22nd individually.
Behind Schepperle and Clanton, the Tigers logged a trio of 4-over 76s as Haley Wilson, Carlie Yadloczky and Patricia Sanz each were unable to find a rhythm.
Yadloczky, who was at 1-under through the first eight holes, hit a bogey on number nine before the halfway point, where she bogeyed four of her final nine coming into the clubhouse. Wilson and Sanz also found trouble on the back nine. The three are tied for 42nd.
On the second half of the course, the Tigers logged 14 bogeys and only four birdies, causing some concern for Evans.
"We need to get comfortable on the greens and I think that's what really held us back today," Evans said.
Though the first day was not what the team had hoped for, Evans is still optimistic about the remaining 36 holes left to play in the invitational.
"We have to take care of tomorrow and that's what we're going to do," Evans said. "We want be the first ones out there and get a good look. We have a lot more to prepare for and big a hill to climb and we're looking forward to doing just that."
Coach Evans and the rest of the team will get their wish as the Tigers are set to tee off starting at 8:00 am CT from the No.1 tee and will continue until 8:36 am CT. Auburn will be paired alongside South Carolina and North Carolina for the second round of action.
TEAM SCORING
1 - Michigan State - 285 (-3)
2 - Alabama - 290 (+2)
3 - Tennessee - 291 (+3)
4 - Virginia - 292 (+4)
5 - Wake Forest - 293 (+5)
6 - Florida State - 294 (+6)
7 - South Carolina - 295 (+7)
T8 - Auburn - 296 (+8)
T8 - North Carolina - 296 (+8)
10 - Vanderbilt - 298 (+10)
11 - Duke - 299 (+11)
12 - North Carolina State - 301 (+13)
13 - Denver - 302 (+14)
T14 - Louisville - 304 (+16)
T14 - Texas A&M - 304 (+16)
16 - Kent State - 306 (+18)
17 - North Carolina Wilmington - 310 (+22)
18 - East Carolina - 316 (+28)
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
T5 - Candace Schepperle - 71 (-1)
T22 - Cydney Clanton - 73 (+1)
T42 - Patricia Sanz - 76 (+4)
T42 - Haley Wilson - 76 (+4)
T42 - Carlie Yadloczky - 76 (+4)