The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Big 12 Championship
Louth leads Women's Golf after first round of Big 12 Championship
04.24.2009 | Women's Golf
April 24, 2009
LUBBOCK, Texas -- University of Texas senior Kelley Louth shot a 4-over-par 77 in the first round of the Big 12 Women's Championship to finish the day tied for 11th place. As a team, the Longhorns are in ninth place at 29-over 321 after battling through a round that saw 35 mile per hour wind gusts during most of the day.
Starting the day on the first hole of the par-73, 6,564-yard The Rawls Course, Louth made back-to-back pars before suffering a double bogey on the par-3 third hole while playing into the wind. Consecutive bogeys ensued on the fifth and sixth holes before she found her first of three birdie opportunities on the seventh hole. Louth finished the front nine bogey-birdie to make the turn at 3-over 39. The Victoria, Texas, native played a relatively quiet back nine in comparison, with bogeys on the 10th and 18th holes and a final birdie on the 12th to finish the day at 4-over 77.
Freshman Nicole Vandermade is three strokes behind Louth and tied for 28th place at 7-over 80. Vandermade carded one birdie, four bogeys and two double bogeys in her Big 12 Women's Championship debut.
Senior Kristin Walla and junior Shannon Fish are tied for 39th places with 9-over 82s, and senior Caney Hines rounded out the Longhorns with an 11-over 84 to finish tied for 52nd place.
Just three players managed to break par on Friday, including 18-hole leader Caroline Hedwall (70, -3) from Oklahoma State. Kansas State's Morgan Moon and Texas A&M's Ashley Freeman are tied for second place at 1-under 72. The average individual score for the first round was 79.75.
In the team standings, Oklahoma State (295, +3) holds a nine stroke lead over runner-up Texas A&M (304, +12). Kansas State is in third place at 19-over 311.
Saturday's second round of the Big 12 Women's Championship will commence at 8 a.m. Central in a split-tee format off the first and 10th tees. Texas will begin tomorrow's round on the 10th tee and be paired with Colorado and Missouri.
TEXAS
T11. Kelley Louth, 77 (+4)
T28. Nicole Vandermade, 80 (+7)
T39. Kristin Walla, 82 (+9)
T39. Shannon Fish, 82 (+9)
T52. Caney Hines, 84 (+11)
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Oklahoma State, 295 (+3)
2. Texas A&M, 304 (+12)
3. Kansas State, 311 (+19)
4. Kansas, 312 (+20)
T5. Nebraska, 315 (+23)
T5. Oklahoma, 315 (+23)
T7. Missouri, 317 (+25)
T7. Colorado, 317 (+25)
9. TEXAS, 321 (+29)
10. Baylor, 322 (+30)
11. Iowa State, 325 (+33)
12. Texas Tech, 326 (+34)
TOP FIVE PLAYERS
1. Caroline Hedwall, Oklahoma State, 70 (-3)
T2. Morgan Moon, Kansas State (72 (-1)
T2. Ashley Freeman, Texas A&M, 72 (-1)
T4. Amanda Johnson, Oklahoma State, 73 (E)
T4. Pernilla Lindberg, Oklahoma State, 73 (E)
POST-ROUND QUOTES
Head Coach Martha Richards
On the team's overall performance: I'm frustrated today because I feel like we did a really good job preparing for this tournament. We have a team that is capable of playing better golf than what we saw. We have to go out tomorrow and be better - we have to fight, compete. Everybody simply has to be better tomorrow.
On the windy conditions at The Rawls Course: It started out windy, and we probably had our toughest conditions throughout the first 11 holes. It was easily 30-35 mile per hour winds over the front nine. On holes 13-18, the wind seemed to die down to the 10-15 mile per hour range, but the conditions at the start were tough, and they were tough for everyone. We all started play within an hour of each other. It blew hard, that's the simplest way to say it.
On senior Kelley Louth: Kelley played well today. I know she was frustrated at times because you always get some funny bounces on links-style courses like this one. She did a really nice job, though, and she competed really hard. I liked her composure and the look in her eyes today.
