Sept. 15, 2017
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- A bogey-free 67 (-5) from sophomore Elena Hualde got the Auburn women's golf team off to a great start at the Mason Rudolph Championship on Friday.
As a team, the Tigers shot 285 (-3) and are tied for fifth place after one round at the Vanderbilt Legends Club -- North Course.
"Nice start to the tournament," Auburn head coach Melissa Luellen said. "Elena was so solid with hitting 14 fairways and 18 greens! Coach Pratt made some great adjustments with Michaela (Owen) yesterday which gave her a lot more confidence with her putting and ball striking. Looking forward to a solid day from all tomorrow."
Hualde matched her collegiate-best round in her opening 18 holes of the season, carding five birdies and no bogeys to stand tied for third place after one round. After opening with six straight pars, she made back-to-back birdies at 16 and 17 to make the turn at 2-under. Another birdie at No. 3 pushed her to 3-under, and she closed with consecutive birdies at the eighth and ninth to finish off her outstanding day.
Senior Michaela Owen is tied for 12th place after a round of 2-under-par 70 that featured four birdies and two bogeys. She was 3-under at the turn after birdies on 14, 15 and 17, then got to 4-under before a pair of bogeys over the final five holes.
Sophomore Kayley Marschke recorded an opening 73 (+1), and senior Kelli Murphy carded a 75 (+3) in her opening round. As a team, the Tigers made 13 birdies on the day in recording their best team score since the opening round of last season's UCF Challenge in February.
Arkansas leads the tournament at 15-under 273, followed by host Vanderbilt at 13-under and defending national champion Arizona State at 11-under. Arkansas' Maria Fassi shot 65 (-7) to take a one-shot lead over Vanderbilt's Abbey Carlson; Hualde is in a three-way tie for third place at 5-under. Second-round play gets underway at 9:20 a.m. Saturday on the first tee as Auburn is paired with Northwestern and Alabama. Live scoring is available at golfstat.com.
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First-round results from the Mason Rudolph Championship, hosted by Vanderbilt at the Vanderbilt Legends Club -- North Course (par 72, 6,335 yards) in Franklin, Tenn.:
Team Standings
1. Arkansas -- 273 (-15)
2. Vanderbilt -- 275 (-13)
3. Arizona State -- 277 (-11)
4. Alabama -- 284 (-4)
T5. Auburn -- 285 (-3)
T5. Northwestern -- 285 (-3)
7. Houston -- 288 (E)
T8. South Carolina -- 289 (+1)
T8. Virginia -- 289 (+1)
T10. Chattanooga -- 292 (+4)
T10. Clemson -- 292 (+4)
12. Middle Tennessee -- 293 (+5)
13. North Carolina -- 294 (+6)
T14. Charlotte -- 300 (=12)
T14. UCF -- 300 (+12)
Auburn Individuals
T3. Elena Hualde -- 67 (-5)
T12. Michaela Owen -- 70 (-2)
T36. Kayley Marschke -- 73 (+1)
T57. Kelli Murphy -- 75 (+3)
T69. Melanie Talbott -- 78 (+6)