W-Golf In Sixth At Dixie Classic

ST. GEORGE, Utah - Winds that blew 40 miles per hour were responsible for a six and-a-half hour opening round, a forced cancellation of Monday's second, and an average 50-over par team score of 337 and +14 per player at the BYU Dixie Classic where the University of Colorado women's golf team shot a season high 335 first loop and sit in sixth place in the 14-team field.  Despite the scorecard shock, the Buffs are just five strokes out of second place.

            "It's a tough course to start with. Combine that with blowing winds, and you've got the worst round we've played all year," said head coach Anne Kelly on their highest round in four seasons on the 6,150 yard Entrada at Snow Canyoun course.

            With a first round 320, 26th-ranked UNLV leads the field with a 10 stroke advantage over No. 16 Arkansas and Portland State (330).  A handful of strokes separate second place from fourth-place Boise State (332) host BYU (333) and the Buffs (335).  Hwanhee Lee of UNLV sits atop the leader board with an opening round 75, just two strokes ahead of Boise State's Jenny Judd.

            For the first time all year, and likely first time in nine or 10 seasons, Colorado had to score four rounds of 80 or higher.  As with the team scores, just five strokes separates second from 15th places.  Jessie Malcolm and Allison Rella's first round 82 were CU's low scores as the two are in a five-way share of 15th place, in arm's reach of a top-five finish.  Malcolm started just 1-over through five holes when she bogeyed her next four holes, including a double on seven.  She would go on to have a strong back nine, shooting par on six of nine holes.  Rella was even through three, but a triple on six and double on seven, set the senior back to tie her lowest career round in this tournament.

            Hannah Hoch recorded her first 80-plus round of her sophomore season, seventh of her career, when she turned in an 83 on the par-72 course, a seven stroke differential from this round a year ago.  Just 2-over through five, she tripled six, and couldn't recover afterwards for a share of 22nd place.

            Twenty-nine places back in 51st place, Maria Persson-Gulda is 16-over with a first round career high 88 after scoring two triples in her first three holes.  She would finish the front nine +7, but went +10 on the back to round out CU's scoring.  Jess Ellis had an equally tough round, carding a career high 96 for 73rd place.  Playing as an individual, Lindsay Senger has a share of 68th place with an opening loop 93.

            The originally scheduled three round tournament will conclude Tuesday, weather permitting, with the tournament's second round.

BYU DIXIE CLASSIC

Entrada at Snow Canyon (St. George, Utah)

TEAM SCORES

1. UNLV....................... 320

2. Arkansas.................. 330

2. Portland State........... 330

4. Boise State.............. 332

5. BYU......................... 333

6. COLORADO............. 335

7. Oral Roberts............. 336

7. North Texas.............. 336

9. Colorado State.......... 339

9. Idaho........................ 339

11. San Diego State...... 342

12. Arkansas State....... 349

12. Wyoming................ 349

14. Weber State........... 356

COLORADO PLAYERS

T15. Jessica Malcom.......... 82

T15. Allison Rella................ 82

T22. Hannah Hoch.............. 83

T51. Maria Persson-Gulda... 88

T68. *Lindsay Senger.......... 93

73. Jess Ellis...................... 96