University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Sits in Fifth After One Round of the Lady Tar Heel Invitational
October 6, 2006 | Women's Golf
Oct. 6, 2006
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Chapel Hill, N.C. - The Lady Tar Heel Invitational got off to an ominous start Friday with play being delayed two hours due to rain and lightning in the area. Nevertheless, what at one time looked like a bleak day, turned out to be a pretty good one for the Tar Heels women's golf team. Despite the cold, windy conditions, Carolina carded a 16-over-par 304 and lurks just three shots behind leader Vanderbilt.
"We started out okay on the first few holes, and then we had a little bad patch in there, but I thought the team really hung in there and battled through it," said head coach Sally Austin of the team's first round play. "We were good mentally, the wind was different and it certainly made the course play differently than it normally does."
Individually, sophomore Lauren Hunt led the way with her two-over 74 that has her in a tie for fifth place and just two back of the overall lead. The Little River, S.C. native started her round with two bogeys and a birdie in her first four holes, but then nailed a birdie putt on number six and another on nine to make the turn at one-under par, despite the rough weather.
"As much as we play this golf course every week, it was a different course today," Hunt said of the difficult conditions. "The winds were coming in from the Northeast and we don't normally get winds from the Northeast, so there were a lot of holes out there that the team felt like they had never seen before. But moving one-under off number nine, I was feeling pretty good."
On the back side, Hunt gave a stroke back on 11 and then bogeyed two of her final three holes, a problem that seemed to plague several Tar Heels on Friday.
"We gave a few shots away at the end and we would have liked to have finished stronger," said Austin. "You never want to finish with a bad taste in your mouth. In the next few days I would like to see how strong we can finish on our last three holes."
Also posting solid scores for Carolina were senior Katie Miller and freshman Kate Thomas who both shot four-over 76. Thomas was one of the steadiest players on the day knocking in 14 pars, tied for most in the tournament. Miller sank a pair of birdies but was hurt by a double-bogey on both the front and back. Junior Ann Laney and sophomore Sydney Crane rounded out the Tar Heel scoring with a 78 and 80, respectively.
In addition to the five-person team, Carolina had four individuals competing in the field. Junior Colette Lowe carded a 76 and is tied with Miller and Thomas for 21st overall.
"Colette really turned well," said Austin. "She has been playing well, and I knew she would because she's a great competitor. I am thrilled to bits that she is playing so well."
The Vanderbilt Commodores will begin the second round atop the leaderboard after shooting a 13-over 301. All four scoring golfers for Vanderbilt shot 76 or better, including a 74 from Cary native Chris Brady.
"I was very pleased today," said Vanderbilt coach Martha Freitag. "We played tough. Even playing in the bad weather, I think we were prepared for it, as nothing seems to get to them. Anytime you can be in the thick of things after the first day, it's good. We just need to remain patient and stay persistent and we will have a chance to do well."
Tennessee ended the day in second place, just a shot back of the Commodores. Virginia and nine-time defending champion Duke are tied for third at two-back after posting identical 15-over 303s.
With an even-par 72, Duke's Jennie Lee finished the day as the only golfer in the field at even par or better. She is attempting to become Duke's ninth individual champion of the Lady Tar Heel and sixth Blue Devil to win in the last nine years. She will have to hold off last year's individual medalist Ashley Knoll of Texas A&M, Tennessee's Marci Turner and Florida State's Caroline Westrup who are all just a stroke back at one-over par. There is also a six-way tie for fifth just two strokes back in what looks to be a tightly contested final two rounds.
Barring any further weather delays, the second round will begin at UNC Finley Golf Course with the first groups teeing off at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday.
![Images from the first round of the 2026 Gators Invitational on Friday, March 6, 2026 at Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. [Photo by Matt Pendleton Photography for North Carolina Tar Heels Athletics]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Func.sidearmsports.com%2Fimages%2F2026%2F3%2F7%2F260306-NCAAWGOLF-UNC-GatorsInvitational-0828-MattPendleton_copy.jpg&height=340&type=webp)
Players Mentioned
