Mallett's 70 Has UNC In 5th At Darius Rucker

Friday, March 4

Hilton Head, S.C.

All Day

North Carolina

Darius Rucker Invitational

March 4, 2016 | Women's Golf

By: UNC Athletic Communications

HILTON HEAD, S.C. – Elizabeth Mallett posted a 1-under-par in the opening round of the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate and is tied for fifth. Mallett's 1-under 70 led the team to a fifth-place finish after the first day.

“We were pleased with the way the team played today,” head coach Jan Mann said. “Conditions were challenging on a course that will definitely test your patience. They handled both with a great deal of confidence.”

The opening round of 6-over-par 290 is the second-best opening round for the team this year, behind the team's 4-over-par start at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge.

Mallett's 1-under-par round was formed toward the end of her round. The senior started the round with back-to-back bogeys, but Mallett went for three birdies in the final seven holes to get to 1-under. Bryana Nguyen and Lexi Harkins both posted 2-over-par rounds and are tied for 21st. Nguyen had two birdies to go with four bogeys while Harkins posted two birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey. Kelly Whaley finished the round at 3-over-par 74 with one birdie and four bogeys. She's tied for 31st. Leslie Cloots was just one stroke behind Whaley at 4-over-par. Cloots had one birdie and five bogeys and is tied for 44th.

Rachel Jones, competing as an individual, shot a 11-over-par 82 and is tied for 89th.

Alabama leads the 17-team field at 6-under-par 278. Virginia is in second at 3-under-par 281 while Vanderbilt is at 2-under-par 282. In fourth is Arkansas at 5-over-par while North Carolina trails by just one stroke at 6-over-par.

Cheyenne Knight of Alabama, Alexandra Farnsworth of Vanderbilt, and Lauren Coughlin of Virginia all share the lead at 4-under-par after the first round. Virginia's Elizabeth Szokol is alone in fourth at 2-under-par. Elizabeth Mallett, Lakareber Abe and Emme Talley of Alabama, and Linnea Johansson of Oklahoma State are all tied for fifth at 1-under-par.

The second round of the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate will begin tomorrow. The Darius Rucker Intercollegiate is being held at the Long Cove Golf Club in Hilton Head, S.C. and features a par 71, 6,243-yard layout. Live scoring for the tournament can be found on Golfstat.com.