Holder, AU women hold lead after first round of Southland Conference golf tournament
By Chris Rickerson | Sports editor
Freshman Chloe Holder shot a 1-over-par 73 to help Augusta University women’s golf team to a first-day six-shot lead in the Southland Conference Championship on Monday, April 18, in Conroe, Texas, at Panorama Golf Club.
Holder was tied for first with Ellen Nicholas of Incarnate Word at the par-72, 6072-yard Panorama course.
The top-seeded Jaguars are at the top of leaderboard, shooting a 300 total (12 over par). Incarnate Word is second at 306, followed by Texas A&M Corpus Christi at 311.
AU’s young star Holder had three birdies and four bogeys on her round.
AU senior Nicole Page finished tied for fourth, shooting a 3-over-par 75. She had one birdie and four bogeys on her round.
Freshman Kennedy Carroll, junior Napabhach Boon-In and senior Natalia Yoko all finished round one tied for sixth, shooting a 4-over-par 76. Carroll had four birdies, six bogeys and one double bogey on her round. Boon-In and Yoko both finished with one birdie, three bogeys and one double bogey.
“We struggled to get putts to drop today, but Chloe played a solid round from start to finish,” said AU Coach Caroline Hegg. “We are focusing on a more offensive-minded approach tomorrow and plan to take advantage of these shorter par 5s.”
Nattavadee Khunsri, a senior golfer for Delaware State, has a solo spot in third place after her 2-over-par 74.
The Jaguars group are to begin teeing off tomorrow at 9:45 a.m. (EDT). Leaders Holder, Nicholas and Khunsri tee off at 10:21 a.m. (EDT).
The winner of the Southland Conference Championship will earn a automatic berth into the NCAA Division I women’s championship.
Five other Southland Conference teams are competing in the tournament along with the Jaguars, including Incarnate Word, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Houston Baptist, Delaware State and Maryland Eastern Shore.
The Jaguars are coming off a fifth-place finish at the Indiana Invitational during Masters week, with four Big Ten team finishing ahead of Augusta.
Contact Chris Rickerson at crickerson@augusta.edu.
Napabhach Boon-In of Augusta University shows her driving form during a first-round 76 to help the Jaguars to first place after 18 holes in the Southland Conference Tournament. At the top of the page, Chloe Holder was tied for first with a 1-over-par 73 at the Panorama Golf Club in Conroe, Texas. (photos by Russell D. Reneau, special to the Bell Ringer)
