STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. ? The Kentucky women?s golf team battled windy conditions Monday in the first round of the 13th annual John Kirk/Lady Panther Intercollegiate, firing a 314 to put the Wildcats in fourth place after the event?s opening 18 holes. Senior Ali Kicklighter (DeLand, Fla.) is atop the individual leaderboard after carding a 1-over-par 73 to put her in a tie for first place after the opening round of play.

East Carolina leads the 14-team field after shooting a 307 in the first round while Coastal Carolina and Memphis are two strokes back with 309s. As a team the Cats are just seven strokes behind the tournament-leading Pirates. Play in the tournament?s opening round commenced more than two hours later than its scheduled 8 a.m. start due to storms that moved through the Stockbridge area. Inclement conditions, including strong winds, continued throughout the tournament?s first round of play.

?I am proud of the way the team played today,? UK head coach Stephanie Barker said. ?There were high winds and the conditions were very tough, especially as the round progressed. Ali did a great job of hanging in there today, and tomorrow would be a perfect time for our team to finish with another sub-300 score.?

Sophomore Beth Felts (Chattanooga, Tenn.), the reigning Southeastern Conference Golfer of the Week, is currently in a tie for 17th place after shooting a 78, while fellow sophomore Elizabeth Dotson (White Bluff, Tenn.) is tied for 31st place with an 80.

Junior Katie Johnson (Lexington, Ky.) fired an 83 and is tied for 54th place, while senior Erin Faulkner (Bowling Green, Ky.) is tied for 68th place with an 86.

Competing in just her second tournament this season, senior Laura Clemmons (Mayfield, Ky.) carded an 88 as an individual competitor.

The final 18 holes of the event are scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. ET Tuesday. Complete results and a recap will be available on ukathletics.com.