STOCKBRIDGE, GA. (Mar. 31) ? Buoyed by a personal-best one-under par 72 from freshman Sandra Maier and a par 73 from junior Anna Scott, host Georgia State opened an eight-stroke lead on the 15-team field of the 15th annual John Kirk/Panther Intercollegiate at Eagle's Landing CC.
Georgia State's first-round total of 300 (+8) leads second-place Jacksonville State (308), Western Carolina (312), 66th-ranked Mississippi State (313) and 43rd-ranked Augusta State (314) at the halfway point of the 36-hole event. The field teed off on a blustery, overcast day with temperatures in the 40s following a day of rain that made conditions less than perfect. The wind in the golfer's face on many holes made for challenging decisions and the puddles from yesterday's rain changed layouts.
Maier is tied for the individual lead along with Miami's Jessica Steward after a five-birdie round, and the pair sit one shot ahead of State's Scott and Suzanne Stanley of Mississippi State, who shot par 73s. Alexandra Espinosa of Jacksonville State and Maria Ringdahl of ETSU each carded rounds of 74 to rest just two strokes off the lead.
“This was a tough day for the field because of the cold, because of the wet course and because of not being able to use the carts only on the paths,” Georgia State head coach Cathy Mant said. “I am extremely proud of the way our team played today. The conditions made for tough decision making. This kind of play changes your timing, your tempo and forces each golfer to make adjustments.”
Mant praised her leader's round, too. “Sandra played an exceptional round today. She has been working hard on her overall game and her putting and it came together for her today. She hung in there and fought the course and won.
“Even though we are leading, all our golfers didn't have their ?A' game and we think we can play better on our home course,” Mant continued. “I like our attitude and our fight and I hope we can produce a victory in our only home event with solid play Tuesday.”
The Panthers of Georgia State, who entered this event ranked No. 35 by GolfWeek, also got rounds of 77 from sophomore Cathrine Madsen who sits tied for 13th and 78 from freshman Iliska Verwey, who ranks 41st nationally and is tied for 16th. The Panthers have four players ranked in the top 20, while sophomore Nicole Loesch tied for 39th.
The top individual for Georgia State in the event was junior Claire Starkie who carded four birdies en route to a first-round score of 76 to tie for eighth.
Statistically, the Panthers held the lead or tied for the top position in almost every statistically category, including par-three scoring (2.95, -1), par-four scoring (4.47 (+21), par-five scoring (4.84, -4), birdies (14) and pars (55).
“It's been a goal of ours all year to play well on the par fives,” added Mant. “With the distance some of our girls have, we should be scoring well on the par fives and I attribute much of today's success to our work on our short game in recent weeks.”
Individually, Maier tied for the tournament lead in birdies, with five, while Scott led the field with 14 pars.
This John Kirk/Panther Intercollegiate has featured a different winner the past eight consecutive years, with Georgia State last winning in 2001. Last year's champion, Maryland, finished day one this year in ninth place at 323.
The final round of the John Kirk/Panther Intercollegiate tees off at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, with groups starting on both the first and 10th tees. Results will be posted to GeorgiaStateSports.com following the round.
15th Annual John Kirk/Panther Intercollegiate Team Scores
1. Georgia State 300
2. Jacksonville State 308
3. Western Carolina 312
4. Mississippi State 313
5. Augusta State 314
6. ETSU 318
7. Campbell 320
8. Coastal Carolina 322
9. Maryland 323
10. Elon 325
11. Miami 326
12. UALR 327
13. Richmond 331
14. Xavier 332
15. Memphis 335
Individual Leader Board
1. Sandra Maier, Georgia State 72
Jessica Steward, Miami 72
3. Anna Scott, Georgia State 73
Suzanne Stanley, Miss. State 73
5. Maria Ringdahl, ETSU 74
Alexandra Espinosa, Jack. State 74
Georgia State Individual Results
T1 ? Sandra Maier, R-FR ? 72 (-1)
T3 ? Anna Scott, R-JR ? 73 (E)
T13 ? Cathrine Madsen, SO ? 77 (+4)
T16 ? Iliska Verwey, FR ? 78 (+5)
T39 ? Nicole Loesch, SO ? 81 (+8)
Ind. ? T8 ? Claire Starkie, JR ? 76 (+3)
Ind. ? 80 ? Cheriston Brett, FR ? 102 (+29)
