AUBURN, Ala. – Freshman Brooke Sansom is no stranger to Saugahatchee Country Club, and it showed Saturday as the freshman tied her career low with a 69 (-3) in the first round of the Evans Derby Experience. Sansom, who finished the day with five birdies, is currently third overall on the player leaderboard.
"Obviously, Brooke was our shining star today," Auburn head coach Melissa Luellen said. "Growing up in Alabama, she's played Saugahatchee and knows the course well."
After a slow start, Sansom and the rest of the No. 13 Auburn women's golf team turned it around and finished the first day in a tie for third after shooting a 290 (+2) on the Par 72 course. In a field that includes 10 teams ranked in the top 25, the Tigers are only five shots back of the lead.
"I'm proud of the resilience of the team and how we responded by fighting back on the back nine," Luellen said. "We were 7 over and battled to get to 2 over for the day."
It was another strong day for sophomore Julie McCarthy, who surged up the leaderboard with three birdies on the back nine and finished in a tie for 10th overall. McCarthy, ranked No. 11 nationally, has now shot par or better in nine of the 18 rounds she's played this season.
Junior Elena Hualde Zúñiga wasn't far behind, shooting a 1-over 73 to put her in a tie for 21st while sophomore Mychael O'Berry rounded out the scoring for the Tigers in the team rankings as she turned in a 76 (+4) in the first round. She is tied for 50th.
Sophomore Kaleigh Telfer finished the first round at 10-over for Auburn.
The Tigers also had three individuals in the field with junior Kayley Marschke and freshmen Chandler Rosholt and Anika Bolcíková. Rosholt is tied for 42nd after she narrowly missed her career low with a 3-over 75. Marschke finished two shots back with a first-round 77 (+5). And Bolcíková carded an 80 (+8) to open the tournament.
Arkansas leads the field at 3-under par (285), followed by Florida (288), Auburn (290), Texas (290), Kent State (292), Duke (293), Florida State (293), Mississippi State (294), Baylor (296), South Carolina (296), Alabama (301), Louisville (302), Clemson (305) and Ole Miss (305).
Auburn, who is paired with Florida State and Kent State for Sunday's second round, will tee off at 9:20 a.m. CT for the second straight day. Live scoring can be found on Golfstat.com.
Team Standings
1. Arkansas -- 285 (-3)
2. Florida -- 288 (E)
T3. Auburn -- 290 (+2)
T3. Texas -- 290 (+2)
5. Kent State -- 292 (+4)
T6. Duke -- 293 (+5)
T6. Florida State -- 293 (+5)
8. Mississippi State -- 294 (+6)
T9. Baylor -- 296 (+8)
T9. South Carolina -- 296 (+8)
T11. Alabama -- 301 (+13)
12. Louisville -- 302 (+14)
T13. Clemson -- 305 (+17)
T13. Ole Miss -- 305 (+17)
Auburn Individuals
3. Brooke Sansom -- 69 (-3)
T10. Julie McCarthy -- 72 (E)
T21. Elena Hualde Zúñiga -- 73 (+1)
T42. Chandler Rosholt -- 75 (+3), ind.
T50. Mychael O'Berry -- 76 (+4)
T56. Kayley Marschke -- 77 (+5), ind.
T73. Anika Bolcíková -- 80 (+8), ind.
T83. Kaleigh Telfer -- 82 (+10)