BUFFS CARD BIG 12 BEST 309, IN NINTH AFTER 18
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Led by Maria Persson Gulda's 1-over-par 73, the University of Colorado women's golf team is off to its best start ever at a conference championship as the Buffs carded a first round 309 and sit in ninth place at the eighth annual Big 12 Championships on the Pebble Creek Country Club here Friday. It's CU's best start to the postseason since turning in a first-round 313 in the 1999 championship played in Boulder.
Texas is leading the team race with a +4 282 and is just two strokes ahead of Texas A&M (294), Oklahoma (299) and Baylor (304). The Longhorn's Perry Swenson and Oklahoma State's Annie Thurman are currently a top the leaderboard with a championship record first round 69. Texas A&M's Brenda Norris (71) is in second and there is a three-way tie for fourth with Persson Gulda is in a two-way tie for seventh.
"We're not that far out," said and optimisic head coach Anne Kelly. "We started shaky and had a few hiccups to start the day. The freshmen's nerves caught up with them, which was to be expected. But we had a solid back nine despite wind gusts that picked up to 25 miles per hour."
The Buffs started strong, and were in sixth place after three holes. At the turn, they had shot a 156 and had fallen to a share of 10th with playing partner Missouri with a +7 before finishing the day 153 on the back nine to finish +21 over and in ninth place.
Persson Gulda had the team's strongest start to the championship, and was in 12th place with a +1 score through nine. The only player get through the round without a double and just one of two without one on the front loop, she birdied #1 and was 1-under through six holes when she bogeyed seven to stand at par and eight to go 1-over at the turn. She birdied #10 and shot par on seven of the remaining eight holes for her second 1-over round in three tournaments.
Her start is the strongest by a CU individual since Katy Nolan found herself in sixth place after the opening round of the 1999 championship.
"I had a lot of fun today. I love this golf course," said Persson Gulda. "I didn't mind the wind and I usually play well in those conditions"I concentrate more. My new putter really helped me and I probably could have made more birdies. The difference between my 76/77 rounds and today's was that I made my up and downs and went out and just enjoyed today."
Hannah Hoch shot par on six holes including the first on the front nine, but doubled #2 and bogeyed #3 forcing the freshman to play from behind the rest of the round. After going 4-over on the front, she shot par on the back in part to a pair of birdies and parrs to sit just a pair of strokes off a top-10 standing with a first round 76 and a share of 21st.
Regina Rodriguez turned in one of the best loops of her young career as the freshman sits in 28th place with a 5-over-par 77. With the second strongest front nine on the team, she was just one of two players without a double, and was even through four holes before she bogeyed 5 to stand at +1 through the next three holes before bogeying 8 to close out a respectable +2.
The story of the day could be Lindsay Koth, who is playing in just her second tournament, and third round this season, as the freshman carded a 46 on the front nine, then birdied three holes and shot par on three on the back to shave nine strokes off her back nine score for a season best 83 and a share of 54th place with teammate Allison Rella.
Rella, the true veteran of this weekend's squad and low score here last year, found herself just as vulnerable to the long 6,242 yard course as the freshmen. She doubled two of her first four holes, but recovered to shoot par on seven of the next eight holes. Vulnerability and the winds caught up again with the junior on her last six holes for an 11-over 83, her slowest start to this tournament since her freshman year.
Rain is expected to blanked the championship Saturday, but Kelly feels like the Buffs can make some waves.
"Our fourth score needs to be lower, and if we can get off to a solid start and not have to fight from behind from the get-go and be patient with the weather conditions, there's room to improve."
BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP (College Station, Texas)
1. Texas............................. 292
2. Texas A&M.................... 294
3. Oklahoma...................... 299
4. Baylor............................ 304
5. Kansas.......................... 305
6. Texas Tech.................... 306
6. Oklahoma State............. 306
8. Kansas State................. 308
9. COLORADO.................. 309
10. Missouri......................... 311
11. Iowa State...................... 312
12. Nebraska....................... 315
COLORADO PLAYERS
t-7. Maria Persson Gulda..... 37-36- 73
t-21. Hannah Hoch................. 40-36- 76
t-28. Regina Rodriguez.......... 38-39- 77
t-54. Lindsay Koth.................. 46-37- 83
t-54. Allison Rella................... 41-42- 83