Rose Rebounds, Leads Cats on Day One of Bryan National Collegiate
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BROWNS SUMMIT, N.C. – Kentucky women’s golfer Grace Rose has been one of UK’s most consistent performers this season. When adversity finally hit her last tournament, Rose had but one choice: to hit back.
She did just that and rebounded from the worst finish of her sophomore season with one of her best rounds of the season on Friday at the Bryan National Collegiate in Browns Summit, N.C. Rose fired an opening-round 74 to lead the Wildcats to a 306 team score.
Rose is in a tie for 15th place and just four shots behind the individual leader, Nico Engstroem Skaug of East Caorlina.
With all five Wildcats in the top 50, UK is in 10th place overall with 18 more holes to go Saturday and 18 holes to conclude the tournament Sunday. Defending champion Virginia leads the field at 1-over par, but the Wildcats are only nine shots behind second place.
Ten of the 15 teams are within nine shots of each other. Play resumes Saturday at 8:30 a.m. with a shotgun start.
Until the last tournament, the LSU Tiger Golf Classic, Rose had yet to shoot in the 80s with the exception of the opening round of the season. She was on a streak of 17 straight rounds in the 70s, proving to be one of the most consistent players on the team.
And then along came the LSU Tiger Golf Classic and Rose suddenly shot three straight rounds in the 80s.
Rose had to qualify to make the lineup this week. She did enough to make it to Browns Summit and then built on that Friday with a promising 18-hole turnaround. Rose was a model of consistency in the first round, recording just three bogeys to go along with 14 pars (second most in the field) and a birdie on the par 5 11th hole.
In 15th place, Rose is seeking the best finish of her career.
Two Wildcats, sophomore Isabelle Johansson and senior Cylia Damerau, are also in the hunt and tied for 33rd.
Johansson, who leads UK with five top-50 finishes this season, looks poised for another one after carding three birdies in the opening round. Damerau had one fewer birdie than Johansson but also one fewer bogey.
Junior Jordan Chael and freshman Anna Hack, who is playing the No. 1 spot for the first time in her career, are right behind Rose and Johansson at 6-over par. Hack and Chael recorded three and two birdies, respectively. They’re tied for 44th.
The Champions Course at Bryan Park is playing at 6,386 yards this week and a par 72. Opened in 1990 under the design of world-renowned golf course architect Rees Jones, seven holes at the Champions Course border the scenic Lake Townsend.
Ranked in 1990 as the runner-up for the best new public course in the country by Golf Digest, the course has since been ranked nationally each year by major golf publications, including Golfweek’s best courses you can play in 2010.
Fans can continue to follow along with live scoring of the Bryan National Collegiate at golfstat.com.
As always, fans can follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com, for the latest Kentucky women’s golf information.
Bryan National Collegiate
Champions Course
Browns Summit, N.C.
April 1-3
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,386
