FRANKLIN, Tenn. – The LSU women’s golf team, coming off a strong summer of play, posted an under par opening round number on the South Course at the Vanderbilt Legends Club here Friday and has the first round lead in the opening tournament of the fall season for the Lady Tigers, the Mason Rudolph Championship.
The nationally-ranked Lady Tigers posted an opening day score of 3-under par 285 to lead host Vanderbilt by three shot (E, 288). Chattanooga is third at 3-over 291 with Mississippi State (292) and Alabama (294) rounding out the top five.
The Lady Tigers posted a tournament best 20 birdies among its five players in the play 5, count 4 format of college golf, while the five players played the par fours at even par and 2-under on the par fives.
Louisiana State Women’s Amateur champion Elise Bradley, the junior from Mandeville, had an outstanding opening round of 4-under par 68 that also leads the individual competition by one shot from Agathe Sauzon of Chattanooga and Lakareber Abe of Alabama at 3-under 69. A total of 11 golfers bettered par on the par 72-South layout, a course being played for the first time in the history of the event after many tournaments on the North Course.
Bradley had five birdies on the day and played the last 10 holes of the day in four-under par. Bradley was 2-under on the par 3s and -2 on the par 5s.
Senior Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden also had a good day as the two-time first-team All-SEC player posted a 1-under par 71. Sagstrom is tied for ninth individually with sophomore All-SEC selection Caroline Nistrup of Denmark in a tie for 12th at even par 72. The other counting score was a 2-over par 74 by sophomore Carly Ray Goldstein.
The second round of the 54-hole event is set for 8 a.m. CT with live scoring at lsusports.net through Birdiefire.com. Follow LSU Women’s Golf updates on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LSUwomensgolf and on Twitter @LSUwomensgolf.
The top three teams – LSU, Vandy and Chattanooga – will tee off in the final wave of the morning beginning at 9:40 a.m.
Mason Rudolph Championship
Franklin, Tenn.
First Round Team Results (Par 288)
1. LSU 285 -3; 2. Vanderbilt 288 E; 3. Chattanooga 291 +3; 4. Mississippi State 292 +4; 5. Alabama 294 +6; 6. GRU Augusta 295 +7; 7. Virginia 297 +9; 8. Auburn 298 +10; 9. Tulane 299 +11; 9. Kentucky 299 +11; 11. Princeton 301 +13; 12. Vanderbilt-B team 306 +18; 13. Lamar 307 +19; 14. Clemson 308 +20; 15. Michigan State 310 +22.
Individual Top 5 (Par 72)
1. Elise Bradley, LSU, 68 -4; 2. Agathe Sauzon, Chattanooga, 69 -3; 2. Lakareber Abe, Alabama 69 -3; 4. Inna Gabasa, Vanderbilt, 70 -2; 4. Maho Hayakawa, Virginia, 70 -2; 4. Cindy Ha, Vanderbilt, 70 -2; Eunice Yi, GRU-Augusta, 70 -2; J4essica Pang, Mississippi State, 70 -2.
LSU Scores
1. Elise Bradley 68 -4
T9. Madelene Sagstrom 71 -1
T12. Caroline Nistrup 72 E
T25. Carly Ray Goldstein 74 +2
T65. Nadine Dreher 80 +8