April 17, 2010
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Kentucky women’s golf team enters the final round of the Southeastern Conference Championship tied for 10th after shooting a 296 on the second day of competition Saturday at the North River Yacht Club (par 71, 6,057 yards) in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Kentucky (303-296) currently stands tied for 10th with Florida (298-300). Mississippi State sits 12 strokes back from the Wildcats and Gators at 610.
Freshman Ashleigh Albrecht led Kentucky in the first round with an even-par 71. After a 73 in the second round, the freshman stands in a tie for 19th. Despite shooting an even-par 35 on her opening nine, the freshman remained even until the final hole of the second round, when she double bogeyed the par 5 No. 5. Albrecht entered the first round tied for 14th.
Fellow freshman Betsie Johnson led the Wildcats in the second round with a 1-over-par 72. Johnson doubled bogeyed her opening hole, the par 5 No. 10, and bogeyed the par 4 No. 15., but recorded two birdied on holes No. 8 and No.9 to finish the front nine 1-under-par.
Senior Sara Huwitch tied Albrecht with a 73 in the first round and turned in Kentucky’s third score Saturday. Freshman Heather Lott carded a 79, while sophomore Ashlee Rose registered an 80 on the day.
Alabama (287-278) and Vanderbilt (284-281) currently lead the championship at 3-under (565), while Marina Alex (71-65) of Vanderbilt and Marta Silva Zamora (69-67) of Georgia lead the individual effort at a 6-under-par 136.
Seven top-25 teams are competing in the three-day, 54-hole event. Play resumes Sunday with an 18-hole shotgun start. Kentucky tees off Saturday beginning on hole No. 10 at 9:30 a.m. EST.
Last time out, the Wildcats fired a 912 (311-294-307) at the Anteater Invitational to place third, marking the squad’s second-best finish of the season. In September, Kentucky placed second at the Napa River Grill Cardinal Cup with an 898 (202-290-305).
UK’s 54-hole low came at November’s Challenge at Onion Creek when the squad broke two school records. With a third-round 284, the Wildcats broke the school’s single-round record, while senior Kristin Vincent fired a 5-under-par 65 to break the individual single-round record. Kentucky placed 11th overall at the event.
Last season at the SEC Championship, Kentucky finished 11th with a 918 (313-297-308). Mallory Blackwelder led the Wildcats’ effort, finishing tied for 26th (74-74-76). Auburn took the 2009 title behind a 1-over-par 285, while Marta Silva of Georgia took the individual crown with a 3-under-par 210.
Live stats for the 2010 SEC Championship are available at golfstat.com. For complete coverage of the Kentucky women’s golf team, stay tuned to UKathletics.com
Seond Round Results
T10 Kentucky302-296 (598)
T19Ashleigh Albrecht (1)71-73(144)
T37Betsie Johnson (5)78-72(150)
T46Sara Hurwitch (2)79-73(152)
T53Ashlee Rose (3)74-80(154)
57Heather Lott (4)79-78(157)
2010 SEC Championship Field
No. 3 Auburn
No. 7 Alabama
No. 10 Florida
No. 14 Tennessee
No. 16 Georgia
No. 18 LSU
No. 23 Vanderbilt
No. 26 South Carolina
Arkansas
Kentucky
Mississippi State
