May 21, 2003

JACKSON CARDS 80 IN BIRDIE-FREE ROUND

WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana – Furman senior Brandi Jackson (Belton, S.C.) fired 40 on the front and 40 on the back Wednesday to card a second round 80 in the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships’ second round at the 6,300-yard, par 72 Pete Dye designed Kampen Golf Course. Jackson is 85th in the individual standings, 17 strokes off the lead pace set by Oklahoma State’s Annie Thurman (3-over).

Jackson was again paired with Sunny Oh of UNLV and Christine Boucher of Kansas State. The trio had the last tee time of the day off number 10 and Jackson started the round with four consecutive pars, including a save on number 13 after she drained a 20-foot putt. Over the last five holes of the back side, however, Jackson had just one par, ironically enough on the par five 16th, where she made quintuple bogey on Tuesday. The other four holes (14, 15, 17 and 18) went down as bogeys.

“It (No. 16) certainly wasn’t an easy par today,” said Jackson. “But I felt a lot better walking off it today than I did yesterday.”

Though Jackson made the turn recording only 13 putts over her first nine holes, she had missed seven consecutive greens and was leaking almost everything to the right.

On the front nine her troubles off the tee continued to cause problems, as Jackson made par on the first hole, but bogeyed two and three to move to six over on the day. Four consecutive pars followed, highlighted by the par five sixth hole, which Jackson tried to reach in two, only to end up on the the downhill side of a greenside pot bunker. A chip and two putt resulted in par. Jackson had another birdie opportunity on the par four seventh hole (Jackson’s 16th) when a 25-foot putt from the fringe hung on the lip of the cup.

A wayward drive on number eight and an approach shot that found yet another greenside bunker on number nine led to bogeys on the final two holes.

“I’m not sure when I last had a round with no birdies,” said Jackson. “It’s been awhile and it is pretty unusual. Even today I thought coming in that seven or nine were holes where I could get it close and maybe make a putt. After making those long longs putts for par on the first few holes, I really thought I had a chance if I could get my irons working.”

Jackson, who totals 164 for the tournament, will tee off at 8:50 a.m. in the third of four rounds.