Oct. 28, 2016
1. Ana Pelaez Round 1: 70 (-2) Round 2: Round 3: To Par: -2 Place: T2 |
2. Ainhoa Olarra Round 1: 73 (+1) Round 2: Round 3: To Par: +1 Place: T19 |
3. Marion Veysseyre Round 1: 77 (+5) Round 2: Round 3: To Par: +5 Place: T55 |
4. Anita Uwadia Round 1: 77 (+5) Round 2: Round 3: To Par: +5 Place: T55 |
5. Katelyn Dambaugh Round 1: 78 (+6) Round 2: Round 3: To Par: +6 Place: T69 |
WILMINGTON, N.C. — South Carolina freshman golfer Ana Pelaez carded her first career round under par on day one of the Landfall Tradition, tallying three birdies to post a 2-under 70. Pelaez ended the first round of the 54-hole event in a tie for second, while the No. 19 Gamecocks fired a 297 (+9) Friday at the Pete Dye Course to finish the day in a tie for eighth.
Following pars on seven of her opening eight holes, Pelaez registered a birdie on the par-5 18th to make the turn at even (36). She added another birdie two holes later on No. 2, and she finished her round in style, recording her third of the day on her last hole, the par-4 ninth. Her 14 pars on Friday were the second-best total in the field, and Pelaez will head into round two just one shot off the individual lead.
Ainhoa Olarra opened her week with a 73 (+1) to end round one in a tie for 19th. The San Sebastian, Spain, native totaled three birdies, all of which came on par-4 holes. She posted a front-nine 38 (+2), and two birdies after the turn helped the junior play her final nine holes at 1-under 35.
Sophomore Marion Veysseyre and Anita Uwadia both sit in a tie for 55th after posting a 77 (+5) in round one. The two Gamecocks tallied one birdie each on their rounds, while senior Katelyn Dambaugh (T69) fired a 6-over 78 on Friday. Fellow senior Jia Xin Yang, who is competing this week as an individual, fired a 76 (+4) to end her round in a tie for 48th.
No. 24 Oklahoma sits atop the leaderboard after opening with a 284 (-4), while No. 13 Wake Forest (288, E) and No. 12 Purdue (291, +3) round out the top three. Hannah Wood of the Sooners holds the individual lead following her first-round 69 (-3).
Quoting Coach Kalen Anderson
“We got off to a tough start, but the team battled all day. We salvaged an off day and remain in the hunt. The course played difficult, and pin positions were tricky at times. Ana had a great round, and I’m proud of Ainhoa’s mental toughness. We’re looking forward to the weekend.”
Round Changer
Freshman Ana Pelaez boasted a strong finish on each side of the golf course Friday. She tallied a birdie on No. 18 and finished her afternoon with her third birdie of the round on the par-4 ninth.
Notable
- Ana Pelaez is the second Gamecock freshman to post a round under par this fall. Fellow freshman Anita Uwadia shot a 69 (-3) in her first two rounds for the Gamecocks at last month’s ANNIKA Intercollegiate.
- South Carolina totaled 62 pars in the opening round, the third most in the field.
- Pelaez’s 2.75 par-3 scoring average was the second-best mark among golfers in round one.
- Junior Ainhoa Olarra ranks third in the field in par-4 scoring average (3.90) through one day.
Up Next
South Carolina is back on the course Saturday morning for round two of the Landfall Tradition. The Gamecocks, who will play with NC State and Iowa, will begin their round on No. 1 at 8:30 a.m. ET.