May 8, 2008

NCAA East Regional, UGA Golf Course, Athens, Ga.

Blue Devils Jump Out To Early Lead In NCAA East Regional

ATHENS, GA.-- Led by under-par rounds from freshman Kim Donovan and Amanda Blumenherst, the top-ranked and top-seeded Duke women's golf team jumped out to a five-stroke lead after day one of the NCAA East Regionals on Thursday at the 6,335-Yard, Par 72 University of Georgia Golf Course in Athens, Ga.

The Blue Devils carded a three-under-par, 285, on their way to a five-stroke advantage over Florida (290). Rounding out the top five were South Carolina (291), which is coached by former Duke All-America and assistant coach Kalen Anderson, Furman (292) and Louisville (293). The three-under-par ledger for Duke is 29 strokes better than its first round score in the Liz Murphey Collegiate on March 21. The Blue Devils went on to shoot rounds of 314, 300 and 304 to finish tied for fifth.

The Blue Devils got off to a very hot start and were eight-under-par as a team through seven holes. Both Donovan and sophomore Alison Whitaker were three-under-par, while Blumenherst was two-under-par. As a team, Duke fired 16 birdies on the day.

Carding her best round as a collegian was Donovan, who registered a two-under-par, 70. A native of Hopkinton, Mass., Donovan turned in a career-best six birdies on the day, which was tied for a team-best. She opened her round with a bogey, but came back to post birdies on four out of the next six holes to move to three-under-par. The streak included a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 2 and a 35-foot birdie putt on the seventh hole. Donovan closed the front with a par on the eighth and a bogey on No. 9 to make the turn with a two-under-par, 33.

UVa Women's Golfers Open in Tie for Sixth Place at NCAA Regional

Athens, GA - The Virginia women's golf team's bid to return to the NCAA Championships got off to a good start Thursday at the East Regional taking place at the University of Georgia Golf Course. The Cavaliers shot 8-over 296 are tied for sixth place with No. 10 Auburn. The top eight teams from the three-day, 54-hole event advance to the NCAA Championships.

Sophomore Whitney Neuhauser led the Cavaliers with a score of even par 72. She had 16 pars during her round. Neuhauser is in 10th place. Freshman Joy Kim shot 1-over 73 to stand 17th while classmate Calle Nielson shot 2-over 74 and is 23rd. Jennie Arseneault used three birdies on her back nine to finish at 5-over 77. She is 52nd overall. Lene Krog is in 64th place at 6-over 78.

The Cavaliers play was considerably better than in March when UVa played on the same course during Georgia's Liz Murphey Classic and never shot lower than 307 during their three rounds.

Wake Forest in Eighth Place After Round One in Athens

ATHENS, GA. - The No. 14 Wake Forest women's golf team posted a 10-over 298 in the first round of the NCAA East Regional in Athens, Ga. to land in eighth place.

The Deacs are seeded fifth in the regional out of the 21 participating schools. The top eight teams advance to the NCAA Championships at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, May 20-23.

Wake, playing at the UGA Golf Course for the second time this season, is attempting to qualify for its third straight NCAA Championship.

The Deacs were led Thursday by ACC Freshman of the Year Natalie Sheary, who carded an even-par 72 to tie for 10th place. Sheary has led the Deacs in five tournaments this season and is coming off a fifth-place finish at the ACC Championship.

NCAA Central Regional, University of Texas Golf Course, Austin, Texas

Florida State Women's Golf Team In 7th Place At NCAA Central Regional Championship

AUSTIN, Tex. - Florida State senior Whitney Brummett and junior All-American Caroline Westrup shot identical scores of two-under par 70 and are in a tie for fifth place in the individual standings and the Seminoles are in seventh place in the team standings after the first round of the NCAA Division I Central Regional Women's Golf Championship at the University of Texas Golf Course. Brummett and Westrup are five strokes behind UCLA's Maria Jose Uribe who blistered the course with a seven-under par 65 over the first 18 holes.

The Seminoles need to finish in the top eight of the team standings to advance to the NCAA Championship round and are one stroke ahead of Texas and two strokes ahead of LSU and NC State for the final spot with two rounds remaining to be played. Florida State is only three strokes out of sixth place behind Texas A&M and only four strokes from fifth place Nebraska.

Uribe was a hot as the temperature during the round as it was played in near 90 degree temperatures with a comfortable breeze blowing throughout the round. She carded five birdies and an eagle and was under par for the final 17 holes of the round after finishing with a par on her first hole of the afternoon. Uribe's scorching round has the Bruins in first place in the team standings with a two stroke lead over TCU.

Brummett (Eureka, Mo.) tied her career best round (70) and finished with the best round of her senior year (28 total rounds). It was the first time she had finished with a score of 70 since the second round of the 2006 NCAA East Regional Championship. Brummett, who entered the tournament averaging 76.52 strokes this year, cut more than six strokes off of her season average in today's round. Her score was her lowest since shooting a 71 in the first round of the fall 2007 Cougar Classic - the first round of this season.

First Round: Doughtie 4th, Wolfpack 9th at NCAA Regional

AUSTIN, Texas - All-ACC junior Lauren Doughtie is in fourth place after a three-under 69 to lead NC State into a tie for 9th place after day one at the 2008 Women's Golf NCAA Central Regional at the University of Texas Golf Club.

The Wolfpack fired a team score of +12 (300) to tie with LSU and is only two shots out of seventh place. The top eight clubs advance to the NCAA Championship.

Doughtie had a magnificent afternoon that featured an eagle at the par-5 5th hole and three more birdies, which puts her alone in fourth place among a field of 108 competitors. The Suffolk, Va., native had the best round of the golfers that had afternoon tee times.

It appeared she would become the third player in program history to shoot 68, but a bogey at the home hole tied her career-best effort set earlier this year at the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic.

The Wolfpack started out on fire on the front nine during its afternoon round. A combined eight birdies and one eagle on the front saw the Pack move all the way to five-under and into a tie with No. 3 UCLA for the lead.

After gradually giving back a few strokes, NC State still had a great round going halfway through the back nine with the Pack holding onto fourth place at one-over. But the final five holes proved very tough as the red and white slowly slipped back into the middle of the 21-team standings.

NCAA West Regional, Lincoln Hills Golf Club, Lincoln, Calif.

Carolina Golfers 11th At NCAA West Regional

The University of North Carolina women's golf team played is in 11th place after the first round of the NCAA West Regional. Carolina fired a nine-over-par 297 total at Lincoln Hills Golf Club, a par 72,.6,338-yard layout. The Tar Heels are just two strokes out of eighth place which is the number of teams that advance on to the NCAA Championship May 20-23 in Albuquerque, N.M.

Carolina sophomore Kate Thomas, from Murwillumbah, Australia, fired a two-under-par 70 to lead the Tar Heels and is in seventh place. Junior Sydney Crane, an All-ACC performer from Jamestown, N.C., carded a two-over 74 to tie for 39th. Lauren Hunt, a junior from Little River, S.C., posted a four-over 76 to tie for 57th place while senior Ann Laney, from Charlotte, N.C., carded a 77 to tie for 65th and senior Colette Lowe, from Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., shot 79 and is tied for 85th place.