UNC Women's Golf Team Third At NCAA Championship

Tuesday, May 19

Owings Mills, Md.

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North Carolina

NCAA Championship

The UNC Women's Golf Team Hosts The Tar Heel Invitational

May 19, 2009 | Women's Golf

By: UNC Athletic Communications

May 19, 2009

OWINGS MILLS, Md. The University of North Carolina women's golf team fired an 11-over-par 299 and is in third place, just five strokes behind the leader, after the first round of the NCAA Championship being played at Caves Valley Golf Club. Tar Heel freshman Catherine O'Donnell owns a share of the lead after firing a two-under 70.

"Catherine played awesome today," said Carolina head coach Sally Austin. "Everybody played fairly solid. We just need to shave off a shot or two here and there. We're doing alright and we'll hopefully get better every day."

O'Donnell, the ACC Freshman of the Year from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., carded three birdies and just one bogey en route to her two-under-par score. Senior Sydney Crane, from Jamestown, N.C., carded a three-over 75 and is tied for 25th place, one stroke ahead of sophomore Kate Thomas, from Murwillumbah, Australia, who posted a four-over 76 and is tied for 38th. Allie White, a freshman from Lancaster, Ohio, carded a six-over 78 and is tied for 60th while Lauren Hunt, a senior from Little River, S.C., shot 81 and is tied for 101st place.

Denver fired a six-over 294 and leads the 24-team field. UCLA is two strokes back in second place, just three shots ahead of the Tar Heels. Southern California is in fourth place at 301 while Arizona State and LSU are tied for fifth place with 302 totals.

O'Donnell and Denver's Stephanie Sherlock, who birdied her last two holes, were the only two players to break par as both stand deadlocked at two-under 70. Four players are tied for third place at even par 72 - Tennessee's Ginny Brown, UCF's Stephanie Connelly, Wake Forest's Nannette Hill and Southern California's Jennifer Song.

The 72-hole event continues through Friday and is being played at Caves Valley Golf Club which features a par 72, 6,433-yard layout. Live scoring is available on TarHeelBlue.com or on Golfstat.com.