ATHENS, Ga. – Elena Hualde Zúñiga didn't play when Auburn won the fall version of the Liz Murphey, but the fifth-year senior paced the Tigers on Friday, shooting a 72 (E) in the first round of the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic.
As a team, Auburn is tied for sixth through the first round at 7-over par.
For Hualde Zúñiga, it was her first round of the 2020-21 season. She made an early birdie, one of three on the day, and finished at even par, making it 37 rounds at par or better in her career. Hualde Zúñiga and freshman Anna Foster, who also had three birdies on the day, are currently tied for 15th on the player leaderboard.
"Elena was very excited to tee it up again for the Tigers," Auburn head coach Melissa Luellen said. "She had some back luck early in the round but stayed patient and turned in a solid round. She can't wait to get out there the next two days. She came back with a purpose to help our team achieve goals of contending for tournament titles. As a coach, I'm very happy have her back in the lineup."
Kaleigh Telfer overcame a slow start with three birdies on the last four holes of her front nine. The senior made a team-high four birdies for the round and carded a 73 (+3), which puts her in a tie for 20th overall.
Senior Mychael O'Berry is tied for 68th individually after shooting a 78 (+6) in the first round while Brooke Sansom's 79 (+7) has the junior in a tie for 75th.
LSU leads the field at even par (288), followed by Arkansas (290), USC (292), South Carolina (293), Ole Miss (294), Louisville (295), Georgia (295), Auburn (295), Florida (296), Alabama (296), Mississippi State (298), Vanderbilt (299), Tennessee (301), Missouri (301), Charleston (302), Kentucky (302), Georgia B (307) and Texas A&M (308).
For the second round, Auburn will tee off at 7:35 a.m. CT on Saturday and will be paired with Louisville and Florida. Live scoring can be found on Golfstat.com.
Team Standings
1. LSU – 288 (E)
2. Arkansas – 290 (+2)
3. USC – 292 (+4)
4. South Carolina – 293 (+5)
5. Ole Miss – 294 (+6)
T6. Louisville – 295 (+7)
T6. Georgia – 295 (+7)
T6. Auburn – 295 (+7)
T9. Florida – 296 (+8)
T9. Alabama – 296 (+8)
11. Mississippi State – 298 (+10)
12. Vanderbilt – 299 (+11)
T13. Tennessee – 301 (+13)
T13. Missouri – 301 (+13)
T15. College of Charleston – 302 (+14)
T15. Kentucky – 302 (+14)
17. Georgia B – 307 (+19)
18. Texas A&M – 308 (+20)
Auburn Individuals
T15. Elena Hualde Zúñiga – 72 (E)
T15. Anna Foster – 72 (E)
T20. Kaleigh Telfer – 73 (+1)
T68. Mychael O'Berry – 78 (+6)
T75. Brooke Sansom – 79 (+7)
Hualde Zúñiga makes strong debut at Liz Murphey
