April 23, 2012

Live Stats/Results

GULF SHORES, Ala. - The East Carolina women's golf team sits in a tied for sixth place after the first round of the 2012 Conference USA Championships at the par-72, 6,246-yard Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club. The Pirates fired a 31-over 319 and trails first place Tulsa, who carded an 11-over 299, by 20 strokes after 18 holes.

Senior Amy Otteson (38-37) is tied for seventh after posting an opening round 3-over 75 to lead the Pirates. Sophomore Fanny Wolte (37-39), who last week was named to the 2012 C-USA Women's Golf Academic Team, is one stroke behind Otteson and is tied for 12th. Playing in her first C-USA Championship, freshman Katie Kirk fired an 11-over 73 (39-44), which included three double-bogey's on the back nine. Rounding out the Pirates squad are senior Julia Strandberg (40-45) and redshirt sophomore Faith Hardison (44-41), who both posted a 13-over par 85.

Players battled wind gusts of more than 30 miles per hour and just two players finished the first round below par. UAB's Caitlin Watts and Tulsa's Marita Engzelius (1-over 71) were the only competitors to play better than par. Watts posted three birdies, 13 pars and just one bogey. Engzelius, a 2011 All-Tournament player, also recorded three birdies and made 12 pars and two bogeys.

Tulsa players combined to shoot 299 for the round, 11-over par. No. 32 Tulane sits in second place after tallying a 301 during the first round, while No. 38 UCF posted a total of 306 and is in third place.

The Golden Hurricane placed four players in the top 20, as did UCF. Tulane has three players among the top 10 scorers from day one, including 2011 C-USA Player-of-the-Year Maribel Porras-Lopez in third, 2010 C-USA medalist Ashley McKenney in a tie for fourth and freshman Gemma Dryburgh in a tied for seventh place.

Memphis and SMU will tee off Tuesday's second round at 7:30 a.m. on hole No. 1. Memphis is currently in fifth place after shooting 310 and are led by Marissa Steen, who is tied for seventh place overall at three-over. SMU's Felicia Espericueta is part of a three-way tie for fourth place at two-over par for the fifth-place Mustangs (313). Steen and Espericueta will tee off together at 8:10 a.m.

Tulsa, Tulane and UCF also will begin round two from the first hole at 8:20 a.m. Kamryn Ruffin of Tulsa shot an opening-round 74 to sit as part of the tie for fourth place. She'll begin play at 8:50 a.m. with McKenny of Tulane and Monifa Sealy of UCF, who shot 75 and currently is tied for seventh.

UTEP and East Carolina will begin the day off of hole No. 10 at 7:30 a.m. Marshall, UAB and Southern Miss will be grouped with matches teeing off at 8:20 a.m.

The winning team will receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Regionals.