MELBOURNE, Fla. – Auburn has recorded a team score of 281 (-7) in the opening round of the Moon Golf Invitational and is currently tied for fourth in a field of 17 teams. Junior Anna Foster led the Tigers with a 5-under 67 and is tied for fifth place individually.
"Stellar play by Anna Foster today, and I was very proud of the fight from everyone else on the team," Auburn head coach Melissa Luellen said after the round. "Their final nine holes were much better than their first. Sophie [Anand] shot her career-low collegiate round, and it is nice to see her getting more comfortable. Looking forward to moving day tomorrow!"
The back nine was much kinder to the Tigers, as their four counting scores fired a combined 6-under on holes 10 through 18. Auburn trails the leader, LSU, by five strokes through the first 18 holes. The Tigers are leading Florida State, who is ranked 11th in the nation by Golfweek, as well as SEC competitors Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Alabama.
Foster fired a 4-under 35 on the front nine and finished the round with just one bogey en route to her 67. Playing as an individual, freshman Sophie Anand recorded a new career best while sporting the Orange and Blue, as she shot a 4-under 68 including three birdies on the back nine.
Making her second collegiate start, Katie Cranston recorded a 71 (-1) with two birdies on the back nine. Senior Megan Schofill mirrored Cranston with a 1-under 71 of her own in a round that was highlighted with back-to-back birdies on No. 11 and No. 12. Redshirt freshman Casey Weidenfeld carded two birdies on her back nine to shoot 72 (E).
For round two on Monday, Auburn's team participants will be paired with players from Florida, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech beginning at 7:50 a.m. CT.
Round two of the Moon Golf Invitational will be live streamed on GKLive.tv (code: Moon100) and live scoring will be available at Golfstat.com and the GolfStat mobile app.
Auburn Individuals
| Placement | Player | Round 1 Score |
|---|---|---|
| T5 | Anna Foster | 67 (-5) |
| T7 | Sophie Anand (I) | 68 (-4) |
| T29 | Megan Schofill | 71 (-1) |
| T29 | Katie Cranston | 71 (-1) |
| T40 | Casey Weidenfeld | 72 (E) |
| T78 | Carys Worby | 76 (+4) |
Team Leaderboard
| Placement | Team | Round 1 Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LSU | 276 (-12) |
| 2 | UCF | 278 (-10) |
| 3 | Clemson | 279 (-9) |
| T4 | Auburn | 281 (-7) |
| T4 | Florida | 281 (-7) |
| T4 | Northwestern | 281 (-7) |
| 7 | Vanderbilt | 282 (-6) |
| 8 | Virginia Tech | 284 (-4) |
| T9 | Arkansas | 285 (-3) |
| T9 | Michigan State | 285 (-3) |
| T11 | Florida State | 286 (-2) |
| T11 | Michigan | 286 (-2) |
| 13 | Augusta | 288 (E) |
| 14 | Alabama | 289 (+1) |
| 15 | North Carolina | 291 (+3) |
| 16 | Louisville | 295 (+7) |
| 17 | Miami | 300 (+12) |