Oct. 14, 2016
1. Ainhoa Olarra Round 1: 69 (-3) Round 2: Round 3: To Par: -3 Place: T4 |
2. Katelyn Dambaugh Round 1: 73 (+1) Round 2: Round 3: To Par: +1 Place: T24 |
3. Marion Veysseyre Round 1: 75 (+3) Round 2: Round 3: To Par: +3 Place: T47 |
4. Isidora Nilsson Round 1: 75 (+3) Round 2: Round 3: To Par: +3 Place: T47 |
5. Ana Pelaez Round 1: 75 (+3) Round 2: Round 3: To Par: +3 Place: T47 |
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — South Carolina women’s golf junior Ainhoa Olarra carded four birdies and posted an opening-round 69 (-3) at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational Friday. The No. 24 Gamecocks sit in a tie for sixth place at the 54-hole event at Finley Golf Course following their 292 (+4) in round one.
Olarra, who will begin the second round in a tie for fourth, continued her steady play this fall, registering just one bogey Friday. She notched back-to-back birdies on Nos. 4 and 5 and made the turn at 2-under 34. Her third birdie of the day came on the par-5 13th, and she tallied another one two holes later on No. 15.
Senior Katelyn Dambaugh (T24) opened the tournament with a 1-over 73. The Goose Creek, S.C., native birdied the par-4 second and recorded a front-nine 37 (+1) following a double bogey on No. 7. She played her final nine at even after notching birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 and bogeys on Nos. 14 and 15.
Sophomores Marion Veysseyre and Isidora Nilsson and freshman Ana Pelaez all sit in a tie for 47th place at 3-over 75 through one round. Veysseyre recovered from a pair of early bogeys and a double bogey on No. 3, as she played her final 14 holes at 1-under. The Lachapelle-Auzac, France, native notched birdies on No. 8 and her final hole of the day, the par-4 18th.
Pelaez, who made her debut for the Gamecocks Friday, carded a front-nine 39 (+3) before finishing strong with birdies on two of her final three holes. Nilsson boasted two birdies in round one, both of which came on par-5 holes, Nos. 3 and 17.
No. 21 Wake Forest sits atop the leaderboard at 6-under 282, while No. 23 Ohio State (283, -5) and No. 1 Alabama (285, -3) round out the top three. Jennifer Kupcho of the Demon Deacons holds the individual lead following her opening-round 67 (-5).
Quoting Coach Kalen Anderson
“The team played scrappy and tough today. I like their mentality, and Ainhoa came up big today. We need to stay patient, and good things are going to happen.”
Round Changer
Notable
- Ainhoa Olarra’s 69 (-3) on Friday matched the junior’s career-low 18-hole score. She opened last month’s ANNIKA Intercollegiate with a 69 (-3).
- Senior Katelyn Dambaugh’s 73 (+1) snapped her streak of four-straight rounds under par. She has broken par in five of seven rounds this season.
- South Carolina ranks fourth in the field with 14 birdies through one round.
- The Gamecocks boasted the fifth-best par-3 scoring average (3.05) Friday.
Up Next
South Carolina resumes play at the Tar Heel Invitational Saturday morning. The Gamecocks, who will be paired with No. 25 Arkansas and NC State, get underway at 9:54 a.m.