May 6, 2004

LADY PALADINS POST FIRST ROUND 312

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Florida -- Furman’s 24th ranked Lady Paladin golf team took to the practice green and tees following a first-round 312 at the NCAA East Regional Championships, Thursday at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

After teeing off on number 10 and making the turn at nine-over, Furman’s team score rocketed to 24-over on the front nine, which placed the Lady Paladins 13th overall in the field of 21. The top eight teams after 54 holes of stroke play will advance to the NCAA Championships, May 18-21 in Auburn, Ala.

Freshman Jenny Suh (Fairfax, Va.) paced the Lady Paladins on Thursday with a three-over 75 on the 6,165-yard El Campeon Golf Course and is tied for 19th entering round two. Suh made the turn at two over after bogeys on the 10th and 18th holes, then bogeyed numbers five and eight, with a birdie on the sixth for the low Lady Paladin round of the day. Her three-over was highlighted by a tough up-and-down for par on the 421-yard, par four seventh.

“Jenny’s great par save on number seven was key because it was great for her mindset and showed a lot of poise, especially for a freshman,” said head coach Mic Potter.

In addition to Suh’s 75, the Lady Paladins counted a 78 by sophomore Connor Atkinson (Charleston, S.C.), a 79 by freshman Theresa Paik (Silver Spring, Md.), and an 80 by senior Sarah Johnston (St. Charles, Ill.), who has been leading the team with a 74.2 stroke average. Furman’s non-counter on the day was freshman Monique Gesualdi, who carded an 81.

Johnston, the only Furman team member who has played in regionals in the past, was one over going into her eighth hole (No. 17), when she make a quadruple bogey nine on the 495-yard par five. Forced to punch out after a wayward shot, Johnston found the water hazard in front of the green and posted her highest single hole score of the year. She responded with a pair of birdies on Nos. 18 and 1, but fought her driver throughout the round and ended up at eight over.

The Lady Paladins will be paired with Tennessee and South Carolina again for Friday’s second round. Duke leads the NCAA East Regional after a first-round 286, while UNLV is in second at 297, Oklahoma State is third at 298, and Tulane is in fourth at 301. Furman is four strokes out of eighth.

Furman Results
13th Furman Team 312

Furman Individuals
T19th Jenny Suh 75
T42nd Connor Atkinson 78
T50th Theresa Paik 79
T61st Sarah Johnston 80
T70th Monique Gesualdi 81