WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
* Georgia State sits in 8th of the 15 teams in the 22nd annual John Kirk Panther Intercollegiate.
* Solene Le Coz is tied for fifth with a 73 and Lauren Court tied for ninth with a 74.
* The event continues with 18 more holes Monday and Tuesday.
ATLANTA – On Day 1 of the 22nd annual John Kirk Panther Intercollegiate, the top eight teams (including Georgia State) are bunched within five strokes. Host Georgia State carded a 307 to sit in eighth place with Solene Le Coz tied for fifth with a 1-over 73. Troy sits in first place at 302, followed by Morehead State and Old Dominion at 304.
The 15-team field at Eagle's Landing Country Club in suburban Stockbridge was delayed by over an hour with frost, but the teams adjusted to the cool 35-degree morning and played on. Jeannette Petersen of Morehead State was the lone player to break par with a 1-under 71 to lead after Day 1. Three players posted par rounds of 72 and four other had 1-over rounds of 73.
Georgia State got season-best rounds of sophomore Le Coz (1-over 73) and senior Lauren Court (2-over 74). Freshman Yasemin Sari added a 79 and sophomore Jooeun Bae contributed an 81.
The event includes five Sun Belt teams with Georgia State in the middle of that pack. Troy is five shots ahead and South Alabama is one shot ahead of the Panthers. UL Monroe is five shots back of GSU and Appalachian State is nine strokes behind the Panthers.
“We played a little better today and it was good to see the pair step up with their good rounds,” coach Cathy Mant said. “It is encouraging to see those two step up, but all the team has the potential to do that. We need to put together two more solid rounds now to get us ready for the conference tournament in a couple weeks.”
Court is GSU's lone senior and an Atlanta native, so this is her final home event and was with family and friends able to watch.
The event continues with 18 holes Monday and Tuesday at Eagle's Landing, off exit 224 south of Atlanta. Admission and parking are free.
