Sept. 13, 2015
Michaela Owen shot even-par 72 in Auburn's opening round of the 2015-16 season. (Wade Rackley photo)
CHARLESTON, S.C. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" Sophomore Michaela Owen shot an even-par 72 to lead the Auburn women's golf team in the opening round of the Powerade Cougar Classic on Sunday.
Senior Jamie Yun, playing as an individual, also posted a 72 that placed her and Owen in a tie for 15th through 18 holes at Yeamans Hall Club.
The Tigers are in a tie for 11th place through one round after a team score of 298 (+10). Auburn is tied with Furman and just one stroke behind Michigan and Clemson, who are tied for ninth.
Owen had a steady round to lead to her collegiate-best round. She carded 14 pars and followed up both her bogeys with birdies on the next hole. Owen made a bogey at the par-4 seventh hole, but made birdie one hole later to make the turn at even par. Then, after a bogey at 17, she birdied the closing hole to finish off her 72.
After making the turn at 3-over-par, Yun was stellar on the back nine with a birdie at the 13th and an eagle at the short par-5 15th. Bogey-free over her final 11 holes, she shot 33 on the inward nine for an even-par day. Yun is playing as an individual and her score does not count toward Auburn's team total.
Sophomore Kelli Murphy was one shot back of Owen and Yun with a 73 (+1). After bogeying the first two holes of the day, she was 1-under the rest of the way with a bogey at the 12th and back-to-back birdies at 14 and 15. She enters the second round tied for XXth.
Freshman Mai Dechathipat posted a 76 (+4) in her collegiate debut. Junior Clara Baena shot 77 (+5) and senior Alex Harrell posted a 78 (+6) in the opening round of the season.
Arkansas, the defending tournament champion, led after one round with a 6-under-par 282. UCF was second at even par. Individually, Florida's Taylor Tomlinson and Arkansas' Gaby Lopez shared the lead at 4-under.
The second round of the Cougar Classic gets underway Monday morning with Auburn set to tee off at 9:55 a.m. CT. Live scoring is available at golfstat.com.
First-round results from the Powerade Cougar Classic, hosted by College of Charleston at Yeamans Hall Club in Charleston, S.C. (par 72, 6,204 yards)
Team Standings
1. Arkansas ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 282 (-6)
2. UCF ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 288 (E)
3. Wake Forest ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 289 (+1)
T4. Georgia ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 290 (+2)
T4. Florida ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 290 (+2)
6. Virginia ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 293 (+5)
T7. NC State ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 294 (+6)
T7. Indiana ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 294 (+6)
T9. Clemson ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 297 (+9)
T9. Michigan ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 297 (+9)
T11. Auburn ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 298 (+10)
T11. Furman ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 299 (+10)
13. North Carolina ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 299 (+11)
14. Mississippi State ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 302 (+14)
T15. College of Charleston ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 303 (+15)
T15. Wisconsin ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 303 (+15)
17. Penn State ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 304 (+16)
18. Maryland ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 308 (+20)
19. Charleston Southern ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 319 (+31)
20. UNC Greensboro ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 320 (+32)
Auburn Individuals
T15. Michaela Owen ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 72 (E)
*T15. Jamie Yun ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 72 (E)
T24. Kelli Murphy ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 73 (+1)
T59. Mai Dechathipat ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 76 (+4)
T70. Clara Baena ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 77 (+5)
T78. Alex Harrell ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 78 (+6)
*competing as individual; score does not count toward team total