Baylor women’s golf is in fifth place after shooting 8-over-par 296 in Monday’s first round at the NCAA Athens (Ga.) Regional. BU is 12 strokes back of the lead with two rounds to play at University of Georgia Golf Course.
Baylor has a two-stroke lead on the cut to make the top six teams to advance to the NCAA Championships. No. 5 seed Baylor (+8) trails only No. 14 Michigan State (-4), No. 1 Alabama (+1), No. 2 Georgia (+5) and No. 3 Northwestern (+5).
The Lady Bears are ahead of No. 8 Tennessee (+9), No. 4 Arizona (+10), No. 16 Princeton (+12), No. 11 Augusta (+14), No. 9 North Carolina (+14), No. 10 Clemson (+16), No. 7 UCF (+16), No. 17 North Florida (+17), No. 12 Auburn (+17), No. 6 Wake Forest (+20), No. 13 Kansas State (+22), No. 15 Troy (+27) and No. 18 Quinnipiac (+45).
Amy Lee shot even-par 72 to finish the day tied for 11th place in the 96-player field. Maggie Beth Byers carded a 1-over 73 and is tied for 16th place, while Dylan Kim is tied for 30th at 3-over 75. Maria Vesga posted the final counting score at 4-over 76 to tie for 38th place, and Fiona Liddell is tied for 67th place at 7-over 79.
HIGHLIGHTS
Baylor ranks fifth in the 18-team field in par-4 scoring at 9-over 4.18, sixth in par-5 scoring at 3-under 4.85 and tied for eighth in par-3 scoring at 9-over 3.45.
Baylor’s 14 birdies tied for third-most in Monday’s first round.
Dylan Kim and Maggie Beth Byers are tied for the lead in the 96-player field in par-5 scoring average at 3-under 4.25.
Amy Lee ranks third in par-3 scoring at 1-under 2.75.
Maria Vesga and Byers are tied for 12th in par-4 scoring at even-par 4.00.
Byers is tied for ninth with four birdies made.
Baylor players combined for two birdies over their first five holes, shooting 11-over in that span, but BU rebounded for nine birdies over its next five holes, shooting 4-under.
STAT OF THE DAY
4 – Maggie Beth Byers made a team-best four birdies, all in a six-hole span between the seventh and 12th holes. She birdied the par-5 seventh, ninth and 12th holes and the par-4 10th hole.
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor is paired Northwestern and Tennessee for Tuesday’s second round, and those teams will begin from the first tee at 7:27 a.m. CT. Liddell is up first, and she’ll be followed in nine-minute intervals by Vesga, Kim, Byers and Lee, respectively. Live scoring is available at www.GolfStat.com. Follow @BaylorWGolf on Twitter and Facebook for updates throughout the season.
