NEW ORLEANS– The South Alabama women's golf team has two in the top 20 after day one of the 2018 Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championship hosted by Tulane University.
Madison Connell is currently tied for ninth after shooting a 71 (-1) in the opening round. Siti Shaari, who has four top 10 finishes in five tournaments this season, is tied for 20th with a first-round score of 73 (+1).
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Event (Host): 2018 Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championship (Tulane)
Dates: Feb. 18-20 (Sunday-Tuesday)
Course: English Turn Golf & Country Club (par 72, 6,239 yds)
Live Scoring
TEAM SCORES
1) Florida 283 (-5); 2) Michigan State 284 (-4); 3) North Carolina 292 (+4); 4) Southern California 293 (+5); T5) North Carolina State 294 (+6); T5) UCF 294 (+6); 7) Miami 295 (+7); T8) SMU 296 (+8); T8) Oklahoma State 296 (+8); T10) Oregon 297 (+9); T10) Clemson 297 (+9); T12) LSU 298 (+10); T12) Houston 298 (+10); 14) Kansas, 302 (+14); 15) South Alabama 303 (+15); 16) Tulane 314 (+26); 17) Denver 315 (+27)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
1) Kaeli Jones, UCF, 66 (-6); 2) Allyson Geer, Michigan State, 67 (-5); T3) Sierra Brooks, Florida, 69 (-3); T3) Cecily Overbey, North Carolina State, 69 (-3); T5) Marta Perez, Florida, 70 (-2); T5) Jennifer Chang, Southern California, 70 (-2); T5) Allisen Corpuz, Southern California, 70 (-2); T5) Sarah Burnham, Michigan State, 70 (-2); T9) Taylor Tomlinson, Florida, 71 (-1); T9) Madison Connell, South Alabama, 71 (-1); T9) Elin Esborn, * Florida, 71 (-1); T9) Paz Marfa, Michigan State, 71 (-1); T9) Emma Broze, Oklahoma State, 71 (-1); T9) Alice Hewson, Clemson, 71 (-1); T9) Megan Thothong, Houston, 71 (-1)
SOUTH ALABAMA SCORES
T9) Madison Connell 71 (+1); T20) Siti Shaari 73 (+1); T71) MacKenzie Peyton 79 (+7); T77) Caroline Berge 80 (+8); 87) Julie Hovland 83 (+11)
TEE SHOTS
-Connell leads the team after one round of her second 2017-18 tournament. She tied for second in last week's Reynolds Lake Oconee Individual Collegiate Championship.
-Shaari shot a season-low 69 (-3) last weekend.
-Connell tied for first in par 3 scoring (2.50 average) and tied for fourth in par 4 scoring (3.90 average). She played 11 holes at par.
-Shaari played 10 holes at par in the opening round and tied for second in par 5 scoring (4.50 average).
-Each Jaguar recorded at least one birdie in the round. Connell and Shaari led with four each; Peyton scored two, while Berge and Hovland carded one each.
-Round two of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate begins at 9 a.m. Monday; round three begins Tuesday at 8 a.m.
THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Matt Luther
On Connell and Shaari's performances in round one… "They both played solid, they both hit really good. Conditions were tough, but they both stayed patient and didn't put themselves in bad spots, so they ended up with pretty good scores."
On how the team will regroup and refocus going into round two… "We talked a lot after the round about how the greens were very small, which makes club selection very important. We talked about it in the practice round, but I think having been through it today they have a better understanding of it. Hopefully that will reflect in our scores tomorrow."
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
Join the Chip In Club, the women's golf specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Chip In Club go directly to support the South Alabama women's golf program. For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/chipinclub.
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