FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Auburn maintained its lead through the second round of the Mason Rudolph Championship on Saturday after posting a team score of 6-under (282). The Tigers' 36-hole score of 556 (-20) gives them a two stroke lead over Vanderbilt heading into Sunday's final round.
"Another solid day of golf by the team," Auburn head coach Melissa Luellen said after the second round concluded. "Conditions were a little different today since the wind played a role. We got off to a great start and grinded until the end."
Redshirt sophomore Casey Weidenfeld had an excellent start to Saturday's round, going 4-under with no bogeys on the front nine. She ultimately posted a 68 (-4), which was the team's best second round score. Weidenfeld's eighth career under par round boosted her 14 spots on the individual leaderboard from the start of Saturday's round, as she is now in a tie for ninth individually.
Ami Gianchandani fought back after being 3-over through her first 13 holes of the day by finishing the round at even par (72) highlighted by back-to-back birdies on the final two holes. After posting the best round in the field on Friday, Gianchandani is tied for second individually at 136 (-8). The Watchung, New Jersey native is tied for the second most birdies of any player in the event with 12.
Megan Schofill also recorded a round of 72 (E) on Saturday, which keeps her in the top-10 individually at 6-under (138) for the tournament. After picking up three par-5 birdies on Saturday, Schofill is tied for second in the field for par-5 scoring at 6-under for the tournament.
Katie Cranston moved up the individual leaderboard on Saturday, as her 2-under 70 improved her position 15 spots to a tie for 28th. Cranston is 1-under (143) for the event and now has 54 career birdies for the Tigers.
In Sunday's final round, Auburn will look to claim a team victory in the first tournament of the season for the first time since opening the 2014-15 season with a win at The "Mo" Morial in Bryan, Texas. The Tigers will be paired with players from Vanderbilt and Ole Miss beginning at 9:39 a.m. CT off the first hole at Vanderbilt Legends Golf Club. Live scoring of the final round will be available on Golfstat.com and the Golfstat mobile app.
Auburn individuals:
| Placement | Player | Round 1 Score | Round 2 Score | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T2 | Ami Gianchandani | 64 (-8) | 72 (E) | 136 (-8) |
| T7 | Megan Schofill | 66 (-6) | 72 (E) | 138 (-6) |
| T9 | Casey Weidenfeld | 71 (-1) | 68 (-4) | 139 (-5) |
| T29 | Katie Cranston | 73 (+1) | 70 (-2) | 143 (-1) |
| T82 | Carys Worby | 80 (+8) | 75 (+3) | 155 (+11) |
Team leaderboard:
| Placement | Team | Round 1 Score | Round 2 Score | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auburn | 274 (-14) | 282 (-6) | 556 (-20) |
| 2 | Vanderbilt | 280 (-8) | 278 (-10) | 558 (-18) |
| 3 | Ole Miss | 282 (-6) | 279 (-9) | 561 (-15) |
| T4 | North Carolina | 282 (-6) | 283 (-5) | 565 (-11) |
| T4 | LSU | 286 (-2) | 279 (-9) | 565 (-11) |
| T6 | Arizona State | 277 (-11) | 289 (+1) | 566 (-10) |
| T6 | South Carolina | 281 (-7) | 285 (-3) | 566 (-10) |
| 8 | Arizona | 283 (-5) | 290 (+2) | 573 (-3) |
| 9 | Kentucky | 288 (E) | 287 (-1) | 575 (-1) |
| 10 | Louisville | 293 (+5) | 283 (-5) | 576 (E) |
| 11 | Alabama | 295 (+7) | 286 (-2) | 581 (+5) |
| 12 | UCLA | 295 (+7) | 290 (+2) | 585 (+9) |
| 13 | Denver | 289 (+1) | 298 (+10) | 587 (+11) |
| 14 | Chattanooga | 295 (+7) | 297 (+9) | 592 (+16) |
| 15 | Baylor | 300 (+12) | 300 (+12) | 600 (+24) |
| 16 | Middle Tennessee | 294 (+6) | 310 (+22) | 604 (+28) |
| 17 | Charleston | 298 (+10) | 307 (+19) | 605 (+29) |
| 18 | Florida Atlantic | 305 (+17) | 320 (+32) | 625 (+49) |