April 19, 2009

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. - The Samford University women's golf team carded a first-round score of 317 on Sunday to finish the opening day of competition as the third-place team in the 2009 Southern Conference championships being held at the Moss Creek Golf Club.

Junior Katelyn Stanier paced the Bulldogs with an 18-hole score of 75. Samford's native of Newnan, Ga., is currently tied for fourth place in the prestigious postseason competition. Sara Hunt is also among the top-10 players in the field after she tallied an opening-day score of 77. Hunt completed Sunday's action in a tie for ninth place.

Samford's Heather Arnold carded a first-round score of 82, while senior Maria Troche followed with an 83 and Sarah Butts added an 84.

The second round of play is scheduled to begin Monday at 7 a.m. (CDT).

Furman sophomore Jackie Hilea fired an opening-round even par 72 to take the lead at the 2009 SoCon Women's Golf Championship played at Moss Creek Golf Club in Hilton Head Island, S.C. The Paladins, the defending champions, had all five of their competitors in the top 16 to take a five-stroke lead entering the second day of competition (303, +15).

Elon, who shot a team-total 308 (+20), was just five strokes off the lead after the conclusion of the round. The Phoenix were led by a pair of top-five finishers in senior Danielle Mills (72, +1), who finished the day second at one-over par, and sophomore Tara McFadden (74, +2), who finished third at two-over par.

Samford, which teed off first on day one with The Citadel, jumped from ninth place to third during the day's round by shooting a team-total 317 (+29).

Furman's Blair Lamb, the 2007 SoCon Champion, and the Paladins' Stefanie Kenoyer, the 2008 SoCon Champion, sit in a tie for sixth after day one with a four-over 76.

Tying for fourth in the team standings were UNC Greensboro (319, +31) and Chattanooga (319, +31) while College of Charleston (324, +36) and Appalachian State (324, +36) tied for sixth. Rounding out the standings were Western Carolina (326, +38), Wofford (327, +39) and The Citadel (354, +66).

The par-five eighth caused the most problems for the players as it played at a 0.96 strokes above par average with a set of leaning trees on the right leading up to the competitors' second shots causing the most problems. The par-four one yielded eight birdies on the day with a hole-low 0.18 strokes above par average.

Round two of the championship begins Monday morning at 7 a.m. (CDT) with results updated every three holes at www.golfstatresults.com.