Virginia Starts in Ninth Place at Mercedes-Benz Championships

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Knoxville, TN The Virginia women’s golf team is in ninth place after the opening round at Tennessee’s Mercedes-Benz Women’s Championships at the Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville. For the second straight tournament, the tandem of Lene Krog and Calle Nielson led UVa with opening round ninth-place finishes. Both players shot even-par 71 and trail Alabama’s Kathleen Ekey by three shots in stroke play.

Virginia’s other scores included 76s by Kristen Simpson and Carly Truitt to put them in 49th place and a 77 by Joy Kim in her first collegiate round. She is in 58th place after the first 18 holes.

Arkansas grabbed the early lead by shooting 285, three strokes better than Alabama and Tennessee. Virginia’s first-round score was 294.

The 54-hole event continues Saturday and Sunday.

Mercedes-Benz Women’s Championship
Cherokee Country Club
Knoxville, TN
Par-71, 5,932 yards
First Round Results

Team Results
1. Arkansas 285
2. Alabama 288
2. Tennessee 288
4. Florida 289
5. Purdue 291
6. Auburn 292
6. Michigan State 292
8. Denver 293
9. Virginia 294
10. LSU 295
11. Kent State 296
12. Ohio State 296
13. Furman 300
14. SMU 302
15. Swedish Jr. Nationals 304
16. North Carolina 305
17. Central Florida 305

Individual Leaders
1. Kathleen Ekey, Alabama 68
2. Sandra Gal, Florida 69
2. Junthima Gulyanamitta, Purdue 69
4. Laura Kueny, Michigan State 69
4. Stacy Lewis, Arkansas 69
4. Lucy Nunn, Arkansas 69
7. Ellie Givens, Denver 70
7. Marci Turner, Tennessee 70
9. Tiffany Avern-Taplin, Ohio State 71
9. Diana Cantu, Tennessee 71
9. Caroline Hedwall, Swedish Jr. Nationals 71
9. Maria Hernandez, Purdue 71
9. Lene Krog, Virginia 71
9. Linday LaBauve, LSU 71
9. Calle Nielson, Virginia 71
9. Abigale Schepperle, Auburn 71
9. Sarah Sturm, Alabama 71

Virginia Results
9. Lene Krog 71
9. Calle Nielson 71
49. Kristen Simpson 76
49. Carly Truitt 76
58. Joy Kim 77