Oct. 13, 2017

No. 14 Women’s Golf at Tar Heel Invitational

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Led by an opening-round 70 (-2) from senior Ainhoa Olarra, No. 14 South Carolina women’s golf finished day one of the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational in second place after posting a 4-under 284 Friday at the UNC Finley Golf Course.

The Gamecocks, who received under-par performances from three golfers, sit one shot behind No. 6 Duke (283, -5) for the lead. No. 2 Alabama (285, -3), NC State (286, -2), No. 1 Arkansas (288, E) and Louisville (288, E) round out the top-five, while Wake Forest’s Jennifer Kupcho holds the 18-hole lead following her 66 (-6) in round one.

Olarra (T7, -2) began her day on No. 10 and turned in a steady first round after totaling 14 pars, three birdies and a bogey. The San Sebastian, Spain, native, who posted a front-nine 36 (E), found her stroke after the turn and notched back-to-back birdies on Nos. 4 and 5. She registered four-straight pars down the stretch to secure her under-par showing.

Carolina sophomore Lois Kaye Go and junior Marion Veysseyre both sit in a tie for 13th after opening with a 1-under 71. Go carded birdies on Nos. 14 and 17 en route to a front-nine 34 (-2), and she recorded a par on eight of her final nine holes.

Veysseyre tallied four birdies in her round, three of which came on her back nine. She made the turn at 1-over 37 before notching back-to-back birdies on Nos. 2 and 3. The Lachapelle-Auzac, France, native responded from a bogey on No. 5 with a birdie on the par-5 sixth, and she closed her day with three-straight pars.

Gamecock sophomore Ana Pelaez (T24) improved as her round progressed and shot par or better on her final 12 holes on the way to a 72 (E). She recorded three birdies Friday and shot a back-nine 35 (-1) after recording eight pars and a birdie on No. 3 following the turn.

Anita Uwadia fired a first-round 74 (+2) to end the day in a tie for 41st place. She tallied birdies on Nos. 17, 2 and 5 and finished the round with 12 pars. Carolina junior Isidora Nilsson, who is competing as an individual this week, also shot a 74 (+2) in round one. Nilsson recovered from three early bogeys and turned in an even 36 on her back nine.

QUOTING COACH Kalen Anderson

ROUND CHANGER Ainhoa Olarra

NOTABLE

• Friday marked the second time this season three Gamecocks boasted under-par rounds in one day. Carolina accomplished this feat in the second round of the Mason Rudolph Championship (Sept. 15-17) when sophomores Anita Uwadia, Ana Pelaez and Lois Kaye Go each broke par.
• South Carolina’s 2.80 par-3 scoring average leads the 18-team field through one round of action.
• The Gamecocks have ended the first round in second place in each of their last two tournaments. Carolina sat in second through 18 holes of the ANNIKA Intercollegiate (Oct. 1-3).
• Marion Veysseyre’s performance gave the junior her first under-par round of the season.

UP NEXT

South Carolina is back on the course Saturday morning for round two of the Tar Heel Invitational. The Gamecocks, who will play with Duke and Alabama, will begin their day on No. 1 at 10:39 a.m. ET.