University of North Carolina Athletics
Lady Tar Heel Invitational Gets Off To A Wet Start
October 7, 2005 | Women's Golf
Oct. 7, 2005
Chapel Hill, N.C. - Scattered showers on Friday marked the opening round of the 2005 Lady Tar Heel Invitational with an added element of difficulty. The 18-team field, that includes nine top-25 teams, got off to a shotgun start shortly after 9:30 am. The rain began soon after the start and cleared by 3:00 pm with all of the golfers still on the course.
"I hate that the weather is bad because the course is in pristine condition," says North Carolina head coach Sally Austin. "Plus, this is one of the best fields in college golf. You're going to see most the teams in this field at the NCAA Tournament."
After the first round of play top-ranked Duke sits in first place with a six-over-par 294, the same score the team shot in the first round of their eventual championship at last year's Franklin Street Partners Invitational held at UNC Finley Golf Course. Vanderbilt, Virginia, and third-ranked Auburn are in a tie for second with scores of 300, while North Carolina is tied for 12th with a score of 316.
Despite the rain, ten players managed to shoot under par in the first round. Virginia's Leah Wigger and Duke's Anna Grzebien lead the field of individuals, each with a score of two-under-par 70. Four players shot a score of 71 to tie for third, including last year's individual medalist Maria Martinez of Auburn.
A pair of freshmen, Lauren Hunt and Sydney Crane, led the way for the Tar Heels in the first round. Hunt, coming off of a top-ten finish at last weekend's Wildcat Invitational shot a 77 on Friday to place herself in a tie for 26th. Crane, a first-year player out of Jamestown, N.C., finished the first day one stroke behind her teammate with a 77. Larua Caniff, Ann Laney, and Katie Miller also contributed for the Tar Heels with scores of 79, 82, and 82, respectively.
With rain in the forcast for tomorrow the Tar Heels will look to persevere and move up in the standings.
"Tomorrow I'll tell the team we want no unforced errors," says Austin. "You've got to accept the fact that you're going to miss some greens. But, make sure you make the best score that you can make in these conditions." The second round of play will begin with another shotgun start at 9:30 on Saturday morning.
Players Mentioned
