ATLANTA – It was a cold and wet first round at the Alexa Stirling Women's Intercollegiate Invitational on Friday, but after a three-hour delay, Auburn battled the elements to shoot a 294 (+6) at the Atlanta Athletic Club (par 72, 6,210 yards). The Tigers are currently in third place, eight shots behind the leader heading into round two.
Sophomore Mychael O'Berry led the way for Auburn with a 1-under 71 in the first round. O'Berry, who made a team-high four birdies, is currently tied for third on the overall player leaderboard. She was one stroke from matching her career-low round.
"I'm so proud of Mychael for putting up an under par round while playing in the No. 5 position," Auburn head coach Melissa Luellen said. "The competitiveness within our team will pay off as the season continues."
Coming off a win at the Magnolia Invitational, freshman Anika Bolcíková also placed in the top 10 (tied for 8th) through the first round after shooting a 1-over 73. For Bolcíková, it's only her second tournament at Auburn and first as a part of the team's lineup after playing as an individual at the last event.
Fellow freshman Brooke Sansom is tied for 13th after shooting a 74 (+2) on Friday, and then it's a three-way tie between sophomores Kaleigh Telfer and Julie McCarthy and freshman Chandler Rosholt – who all finished with a round of 75 (+3) and are in a tie for 17th overall. For Rosholt, who made three birdies on the day, it was her first time playing competitively for Auburn.
Junior Elena Hualde Zúñiga rounded out the Auburn contingent with a round of 76 (+4). She's currently tied for 24th overall.
Louisville leads the field at two-under par (286), followed by Virginia Tech (292), Auburn (294), Georgia (299), East Carolina (303), Indiana (303), Kennesaw State (304), Mercer (306), Coastal Carolina (308), Dartmouth College (313) and Georgia State (317).
Auburn is paired with Louisville and Virginia Tech as part of the feature group for the second round, which will tee off at 8:30 a.m. CT on Saturday. Live scoring can be found on Golfstat.com.
Team Standings
1. Louisville -- 286 (-2)
2. Virginia Tech -- 292 (+4)
3. Auburn -- 294 (+6)
4. Georgia -- 299 (+11)
T5. East Carolina -- 303 (+2)
T5. Indiana -- 303 (+15)
7. Kennesaw State -- 304 (+16)
8. Mercer -- 306 (+18)
9. Coastal Carolina -- 308 (+20)
10. Dartmouth College -- 313 (+25)
11. Georgia State -- 317 (+29)
Auburn Individuals
T3. Mychael O'Berry -- 71 (-1)
T8. Anika Bolcíková -- 73 (+1)
T13. Brooke Sansom -- 74 (+2), ind.
T17. Kaleigh Telfer -- 75 (+3)
T17. Julie McCarthy -- 75 (+3)
T17. Chandler Rosholt -- 75 (+3), ind.
T24. Elena Hualde Zúñiga -- 76 (+4)
O'Berry shines as Auburn opens in third at Alexa Stirling
