Sept. 19, 2014
Clara Baena shot a 1-over-par 73 in Friday's first round at the Mason Rudolph Championship. (Wade Rackley photo)
FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Auburn shot a first-round 298 (+10) and sits in eighth place after 18 holes at the Mason Rudolph Championship Friday at the Vanderbilt Legends Club.
Sophomore Clara Baena led the way for Auburn with a 1-over-par 73, overcoming a slow start with a pair of birdies on the back nine.
"We just got off to a slow start today and never rebounded," Auburn head coach Kim Evans said. "We played very stale and flat. Tomorrow we've got to get up and make some things happen and try to make up some ground. It just started off slow and we never seemed to get in a good rhythm. But we're looking forward to tomorrow, and we'll be out there giving it our best."
Baena had two bogeys and no birdies on the front nine to make the turn at 2-over, but made birdies at the 12th and 18th along with a bogey at 15 to finish the day at 1-over.
Auburn's four other starters posted matching rounds of 75 (+3). Freshman Kelli Murphy made the turn at plus-3 after bogeys at the second, fourth and eighth holes, but she would finish strong with pars on her final 10 holes. Junior Alex Harrell was 2-over at the turn after three bogeys and a birdie on the front, then overcame a double-bogey at No. 12 and a bogey at the 15th with birdies at 14 and 17 to finish at plus-3.
Freshman Sophia Schubert had a mostly consistent round with two bogeys on the front and two birdies on the back, but a triple-bogey 6 at the par-3 13th left her at 3-over for the day. And junior Jamie Yun coupled four bogeys with one birdie to finish with a 75 of her own.
LSU leads the team competition after an opening 285 (-3), three shots ahead of host Vanderbilt. Elise Bradley of LSU is the 18-hole individual leader after posting a 4-under 68, and Chattanooga's Agathe Sauzon and Alabama's Lakareber Abe are tied for second at 3-under.
Round two of the Mason Rudolph Championship is set to begin at 8 a.m. Saturday. Auburn will be paired with Virginia and Tulane on the first tee.
Mason Rudolph Championship - Franklin, Tenn. (Par 72) - First Round Results | |||
| Team Results | |||
| 1. | LSU | 285 | -3 |
| 2. | Vanderbilt | 288 | Even |
| 3. | Chattanooga | 291 | +3 |
| 4. | Mississippi State | 292 | +4 |
| 5. | Alabama | 293 | +6 |
| 6. | GRU Augusta | 295 | +7 |
| 7. | Virginia | 297 | +9 |
| 8. | Auburn | 298 | +10 |
| T9. | Kentucky | 299 | +11 |
| T9. | Tulane | 299 | +11 |
| 11. | Princeton | 301 | +13 |
| 12. | Vanderbilt (B-Team) | 306 | +18 |
| 13. | Lamar | 307 | +19 |
| 14. | Clemson | 308 | +20 |
| 15. | Michigan State | 310 | +22 |
| Auburn Individual Results | |||
| T16. | Clara Baena | 73 | +1 |
| T33. | Sophia Schubert | 75 | +3 |
| T33. | Alex Harrell | 75 | +3 |
| T33. | Kelli Murphy | 75 | +3 |
| T33. | Jamie Yun | 75 | +3 |
| T69. | Nicole Quinn* | 81 | +9 |
*Competing as an individual