Oct. 7, 2011

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — South Carolina senior Katie Burnett posted a 4-under-par 68 on Friday and is tied for the lead after the first round of the Tar Heel Invitational at the UNC Finley Golf Course. As a team, the Gamecocks shot a 289 (+1) to finish the day in fifth place.

Burnett, LSU’s Madelene Sagstrom and Wake Forest’s Cheyenne Woods hold a one-shot lead over a group of five golfers who shot 69 on Friday.

The Gamecocks are eight strokes behind tournament leader Alabama (281). South Carolina head coach Kalen Harris was pleased with her team’s opening-round performance against a field that includes 12 teams ranked in the Golf World/NGCA coaches’ poll.

“Overall it was a solid start,” Harris said. “Katie Burnett played very well, with seven birdies for a 68. Meredith Swanson and Suzie Lee added steady rounds of 71 and 73. We are in a good position heading into the weekend.”

Burnett carded the ninth lowest round in school history and the 26th round of par or better of her career with the 66. She started her day on the 10th hole and made back-to-back pars before recording a bogey on the 12th to fall to 1-over. But Burnett didn’t stay at over par for long as she made birdies on the 13th, 14h and 17th holes to make the turn at 2-under. She closed out her round with four more birdies, two bogeys and three pars on the back nine to finish the day at 4-under.

Swanson, a junior, recorded her third straight round under par, firing a 1-under 71 to end the day in a tie for 10th. Swanson birdied hole No. 13 and made eight pars to shoot 35 (-1) on the front nine. She moved to 2-under with a birdie at the fourth but gave the stroke back with a bogey at the sixth. The Roanoke, Va., native made par the rest of the way to remain at 1-under.

Lee, who made her first appearance of the season, shot a 1-over 73 and is in a tie for 26th. Lee had a rough start to the round with a double bogey on the 10th but she bounced back to make 12 consecutive pars. Lee then birdied hole No. 5 but dropped back to 2-over with a bogey at the eighth. However, she birdied the par-4 ninth hole to head into the clubhouse at 1-over.

Junior Amanda Strang, sophomore Katie Rose Higgins and freshman Justine Dreher, who is playing as an individual, each shot a 77 (+5) on Friday to end the day in a tie for 65th.

Defending champion Alabama holds a three-shot lead over LSU (284) and Wake Forest (284). Auburn is in fourth after shooting a 287 (-1).

The Gamecocks are paired with Auburn and host North Carolina for the second round and are slated to tee off at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday. Live scoring is available at golfstatresults.com.

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTS
T1 Katie Burnett 68 (-4)
T10 Meredith Swanson 71 (-1)
T26 Suzie Lee 73 (+1)
T64 Amanda Strang 77 (+5)
T64 Katie Rose Higgins 77 (+5)
*T64 Justine Dreher 77 (+5)
*Playing as an individual

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Alabama 281 (-7)
T2. LSU 284 (-4)
T2. Wake Forest 284 (-4)
4. Auburn 287 (-1)
5. South Carolina 289 (+1)
6. North Carolina 290 (+2)
T7. North Carolina State 291 (+3)
T7. Michigan State 291 (+3)
9. Tennessee 293 (+5)
T10. Tulane 295 (+7)
T10. Georgia 295 (+7)
12. Louisville 296 (+8)
13. Virginia 297 (+9)
14. Duke 298 (+10)
15. Arkansas 300 (+12)
16. Coastal Carolina 304 (+16)
T17. Chattanooga 307 (+19)
T17. Notre Dame 307 (+19)