CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Florida women’s golf team is tied for third place after the first round of the 35th annual Tar Heel Invitational, a three-day event being played at the par-72, 6,285-yard UNC Finley Golf Course.
Women’s Golf Tied for Third After Opening Round of Tar Heel Invitational Chapel Hill, N.C.
Florida’s team score was an even par 288, tying coach Jan Dowling’s team with Duke, the school at which she was an assistant coach before being hired by Florida. Both Florida and Duke trail No. 1 Alabama, which totaled 277 (-11) and had an eight-stroke lead over second-place Louisiana State. The Crimson Tide’s Brooke Pancake shot a seven-under 65 to take the first-round lead.
“We put up a decent score but I feel like we are scratching the surface with this team,” Dowling said. “We just hung in there all day. It was a grind for the team. The par-5’s I feel like we could have played a little bit better and we would have been under par for sure.”
The Gators were led by junior Evan Jensen who completed her day tied for eighth overall after posting a two-under 70. Jensen turned in five birdies to offset three bogeys in her round.
“I played really steady,” Jensen stated. “I did not birdie any of the par-5’s and I should be able to do that since they are not that long but I have been hitting the ball pretty well.”
“Evan is a great ball-striker and she stays very even-keel,” Dowling said. “She never gets too high or too low and I think that is a huge key to her consistency.”
Sophomore Isabelle Lendl returned to the lineup after not playing in the Mason Rudolph Women’s Championship two weeks ago and had a successful return as she carded a one-under 71 which left her tied for 13th overall. Lendl had two birdies, one on her first hole, and just one bogey in her round.
“I am very happy for Isabelle,” Dowling said. “She was under par all day. The stretch of holes where she didn’t hit it so great (on 16, 17 and 18), she ground out some good pars. I was impressed.”
Senior Jessica Yadloczky overcame a pair of double bogeys with five birdies, including one on her final hole, to shoot an even-par 72 that left her tied for 24th place.
“Jessica showed a lot of composure,” Dowling said. “She putted great today and she hit it pretty well and gave herself some opportunities to make some birdies.”
Sophomore Mia Piccio made three bogeys and 15 pars to shoot a three-over 75 and was tied in 54th place with junior Andrea Watts, who overcame a double bogey with a pair of bogeys and had three bogeys.
Watts will begin play for Florida in the second round of the Tar Heel Invitational at 9:45 a.m. Saturday. She will be followed by Piccio at 9:54, Yadloczky at 10:03, Lendl at 10:12 and Jensen at 10:21.
TAR HEEL WOMEN’S INVITATIONAL
UNC Finley Golf Course (par 72, 6,285 yards) / Chapel Hill, N.C. / First round / Friday, Oct. 8, 2010
Team scores: 1. Alabama 277 (-11); 2. Louisiana State 285 (-3); T3. Florida 288 (E) and Duke 288 (E); T5. Tulane 289 (+1) and Michigan State 289 (+1); 7. Virginia 290 (+2); T8. South Carolina 291 (+3) and Wake Forest 291 (+3); 10. Texas A&M 292 (+4); 11. Auburn 293 (+5); 12. North Carolina 294 (+6); 13. Georgia 295 (+7); 14. Vanderbilt 298 (+10); T15. Florida State 299 (+11) and Denver 299 (+11); 17. Louisville 301 (+13); 18. North Carolina State 302 (+14).
Top 10 individuals: 1. Brooke Pancake (Alabama) 65 (-7); T2. Janine Fellows (Tulane) 67 (-5) and Megan McChrystal (Louisiana State) 67 (-5); 4. Brittany Altomare (Virginia) 68 (-4); T5. Camilla Lennarth (Alabama) 69 (-3), Julia Thead (Vanderbilt) 69 (-3) and Sarah Zwartynski (Texas A&M) 69 (-3); T8. Evan Jensen (Florida) 70 (-2), Courtney Gunter (North Carolina) 70 (-2), Sara-Maude Juneau (Louisville) 70 (-2), Brittany Marchand (North Carolina State) 70 (-2) and Aimee Neff (Michigan State) 70 (-2).
Florida scores: T8. Evan Jensen 70 (-2); T13. Isabelle Lendl 71 (-1); T24. Jessica Yadloczky 72 (E); T54 Mia Piccio 75 (+3) and Andrea Watts 75 (+3).