Tide Women Start Strong at SEC Golf Championship
4/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
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TUNICA, Miss. – The University of Alabama women’s golf team is tied for fifth after firing an opening round 303 on Friday at the Southeastern Conference Championship being played the par 72, 6,281-yard Tunica National Golf & Tennis Club.
The Crimson Tide total was the team’s lowest of the spring season and matched the second lowest of the year equaling the squad’s second round performance at the ACC/SEC Women’s Golf Challenge on Oct. 30. Bama’s score was just two shots out of third and only four shots behind second-place.
Junior Carina Sorensen paced the strong Tide performance on Friday carding an even-par round of 72 to sit in a third-place tie in the individual medalist competition. She was joined in the individual Top 10 by senior teammate Darby Sligh, who fired an opening round 74 and is currently tied for ninth-place.
“I am very proud of the team’s effort today,” said retiring UA head coach Betty Palmer. “For the most part we played this course extremely well. We just had a little slide over the closing few holes. Our goal from the start of this event has been to just relax and play golf. I thought we did that today and hopefully we can continue our solid play through the weekend.”
Other golfers competing for the Crimson Tide on Friday at the SEC Championship included freshman Emily Sykes 78 (T29th), senior Megan George 79 (T35th) and junior Audrey Gale 82 (T49th).
Auburn leads the overall team competition following an opening round 291. Tennessee is in second at 299 with Georgia and Arkansas tied for third at 301. Alabama is even with LSU in fifth at 303 followed by Florida (304), Vanderbilt (308), Kentucky (310), South Carolina (313), Ole Miss (321) and Mississippi State (330). AU’s Nicole Hage shot a three-under-par 69 to hold a two shot advantage in the individual medalist competition.
Tournament action at the SEC Championship continues on Saturday with Alabama teeing off at 8:30 a.m. from the first tee. The Tide is teamed with Arkansas and LSU for second round play.
