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Tulsa Claims Early Lead at C-USA Women's Golf Championship
WGOLF Championship

	Caitlin Watts, UAB

April 23, 2012

GULF SHORES, Ala. – No. 33 Tulsa holds a two-stroke lead after the opening round of the 2012 Conference USA Women’s Golf Championship. UAB’s Caitlin Watts finished the day two-under and is the clubhouse leader. A total of 50 golfers played 18 holes during Monday’s opening round at the par 72, 6,246-yard Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club in Gulf Shores, Ala.

Live Stats/Tee Times

Players battled wind gusts of more than 30 miles per hour and just two players finished the first round below par. Watts and Tulsa’s Marita Engzelius (71, -1) 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.

Team standings (Day One)

current
position

team

scoring

rounds

total
score

to par

thru

today

Tulsa

+11