May 20, 2008

Albuquerque, NM - The Tulsa women's golf team posted an opening round score of 297 at the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship on Tuesday. Tulsa sits in 11th place in the 24-team field after its opening round on the par-72 University of New Mexico Championship Golf Course.

Southern California, winners of the NCAA West Region earlier this month, lead after the first day of the 72-hole event. The Trojans turned in a round of four-under par 284 and lead fellow PAC-10 rival UCLA and Auburn. The Bruins and Tigers shot rounds of 289. Arizona State (290) is in fourth-place, while Denver and Wake Forest (293) are tied for fifth place. Oklahoma State (294), Texas A&M (295), Virginia and Alabama (294) round out the top-10 schools after day one of the national tournament.

The Hurricane is just 13 strokes out of first-plae and trailed fifth-place by just four strokes. The nation's No.1-ranked Duke Blue Devils are in 18th place after today's opening round of 299

Tulsa junior transfer Woori Shin, the 2006 NJCAA national champion, had the top individual performance for the Hurricane. She carded an even-par score of 72 for 15th place.

Starting on hole 10, Shin got the day off to a good start for the Hurricane with a birdie on the par 5 10th hole, as it was one of just two birdies on holes 10 through 18 for the Hurricane on its first nine holes. Shin went one-over par after back-to-back bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes, but on the back nine she scored a one-under with birdies on holes 1 and 5 and a bogey the par 3 second hole.

Cavener carded a one-over par 73 for the second-best round for the Hurricane today and sits in tie for 23rd place after the opening round. On her first nine holes, the senior had a birdie sandwiched between two bogeys on the 14th through 16th holes.

Fellow senior Leisl Hasbrouck and freshman Kelly Fuchik are tied for 69th place after opening the NCAA tournament with rounds of four-over par 76. Senior Tara Goedeken carded a round of 80 and is in 111th place for the Hurricane.

Tulsa will tee-off on Wednesday at 12 noon. You can follow the action at www.golfstat.com.