Wildcats Conclude First Round at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – The University of Kentucky women’s golf team played in the first round of the accomplished field at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate at Long Cove Club (par 71, 6,413 yards) in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, on Monday, turning in a 19-over-par 303 to earn 16th place.
The Wildcats still have time to move up the team leaderboard, with 36 holes across two rounds remaining at The Darius. The Cats will go off the first tee in the second round tomorrow, beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET. They’ll once again be paired with Duke and Vanderbilt.
Marta López Echevarría is leading the team after the first round, assembling a 2-over-par 73 to earn a share of 23rd place. She began her day with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 – before collecting a team-best four birdies throughout the round, including two birdies on par-4s on the back nine followed by two birdies on par-3s on the front nine.
Behind her is Karlie Campbell, a SEC Freshman Golfer of the Week in mid-February, who put together a 4-over-par 75 on Monday. The freshman endured a tough stretch of six straight bogeys to begin her round. However, just on the other side of that spell, she turned in 10 pars and two birdies to get back into the top 50 on the individual leaderboard. In an elite field, the freshman is sitting in 44th place.
From one rookie to another rookie, Anastasia Hekkonen is third in the lineup as of the first round. She recorded a 6-over-par 77 to find a share of 61st place for the time being. The freshman had a solid start Monday, stringing together a par, par, birdie and par series on holes Nos. 10 through 13, before she suffered a handful of bogeys late on the back nine. She made the turn recording three straight pars, and six pars total on the front nine, before turning in a 6-over on Monday.
Cathryn Brown, the SEC Player of the Week less than two weeks ago, had an uncharacteristic round for her spring season, handing over a 7-over-par 78 on Monday. The sophomore is currently in a tie for 75th place. Meanwhile, fellow sophomore Brooke Oberparleiter had a few tough holes on the golf course that left her shooting 20-over for 90th place.
Kentucky is just seven shots outside the top 10 in the elite field at The Darius.
Big Blue Nation can watch the rest of the tournament on Golf Channel, which will have coverage Tuesday and Wednesday from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. ET. Fans also are encouraged to follow live scoring here.
Scorecard
T23 Marta López Echevarría 73 (+2)
T44 Karlie Campbell 75 (+4)
T61 Anastasia Hekkonen 77 (+6)
T75 Cathryn Brown 78 (+7)
90 Brooke Oberparleiter 91 (+20)
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s golf team, follow the team on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com.
