photo courtesy Phillip Faulkner, UGA photographer

Courtesy: GoMocs.com

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DAY ONE INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

DAY ONE TEAM RESULTS

DAY TWO TEE TIMES

ATHENS, Ga. – Chattanooga’s Emma de Groot fired a 1-over, 73 on Day One of the NCAA East Regional hosted by the University of Georgia at the UGA Golf Course Thursday.

The Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, native started the day on the 10^th tee in a double-crossover start. She was 1-over on the back nine with a pair of bogeys and a birdie on the 11^th hole and evened her play out on the front nine with two birdies and two bogeys.

“She had the right mindset today,” UTC Head Coach Colette Murray said. “She didn’t try to win it on the first day. She just wanted to put herself in contention.”

De Groot is six strokes off the lead and tied for 17^th place. Louisville’s Sara-Maude Juneau is the current leader with a 5-under 67 followed by top-ranked Amanda Blumenherst of Duke and No. 32 Benedicte Toumpsin of South Carolina, both at 4-under.

Furman, who received the SoCon’s automatic bid, have two players in the top 10 and are fourth overall after the first round. Duke, the favorite is 3-under followed by Florida at 2-over and South Carolina at 3-over.

The top eight teams and the two individuals not on the top eight teams will advance to the NCAA National Championships May 20-23 at the University of New Mexico Championship Golf Course in Albuquerque, N.M.

De Groot, the 2008 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, was awarded an at-large bid to the regional after leading the league in stroke average most of the year and was ranked as high as 23^rd.

“She really composed herself,” Murray said. “She is having a good time.”

De Groot will tee off Friday at 12:30 from the first tee. 

Top 10 Teams

1.         (1) Duke                                                                    -3            285

2.         (5) Florida                                                                 +2           290

3.         (32) South Carolina                                                +3           291

4.         (35) Furman                                                             +4           292

5.         (31) Louisville                                                          +5           293

6.         (10) Auburn                                                               +8           296

            (20) Virginia                                                              +8           296

8.         (15) Wake Forest                                                     +10         298

9.         (8) Georgia                                                               +11         299

10.      (22) New Mexico                                                      +16         304

Top 20 Players

1.         Sara-Maude Juneau, Louisville                            -5            67

T2.      (1) Amanda Blumenherst, Duke                          -4            68

T2.      (32) Benedicte Toumpsin, South Carolina        -4            68

4.         Corrine Carr, Furman                                             -3            69

T5.      (47) Krystle Caithness, Georgia                           -2            70

T5.      (12) Cydney Clanton, Auburn                                -2            70

T5.      Kimberly Donovan, Duke                                       -2            70

T8.      Carmen Perez, UNC Wilmington                         -1            71

T8.      Alexandra Phelps, New Mexico                            -1            71

T10.    (41) Tiffany Chudy, Florida                                     E             72

T10.    Jaclyn Hilea, Furman                                              E             72

T10.    Ornella Jouven, Florida                                          E             72

T10.    (59) Cindy LaCrosse                                              E             72

T10.    Whitney Neuhauser, Virginia                                E             72

T10.    (61) Jennifer Pnadolfi, Duke                                 E             72

T10.    (35) Natalie Sheary, Wake Forest                        E             72

T17.    (66) Emma de Groot, Chattanooga                     +1           73

T17.    Joy Kim, Virginia                                                      +1           73

T17.    (96) Julia Potter, Missouri                                      +1           73

T17.    (58) Marci Turner, Tennessee                              +1           73

T17.    Jessica Tadloczky, Florida                                    +1           73

T17.    (25) Hannah Yun, Florida                                      +1           73