GRANDE, Puerto Rico – The No. 26 GRU Augusta women's golf team began their 2015 spring season on Sunday by shooting a 22-over 310 for 12th place in the first round of the Lady Puerto Rico Classic at the Wyndham Rio Mar Resort & Rio Mar Country Club - River Course in Grande, Puerto Rico.
In a field with four ranked in the top 25, the Jaguars struggled to start the event, despite sophomores Jessica Haigwood and Teresa Caballer Hernani carding three birdies through the opening nine holes. The Jags are 12th in the 15-team field and are 20 strokes behind the current leader, Arkansas, who carded a 290 (+2).
Haigwood ended the first round of her spring season with a 1-over 73 to pace the Jags and sit tied for 13th overall. After starting the back nine with two birdies, Haigwood had back-to-back bogeys on #16 and #17.
Hernani posted four bogeys and two doubles to overshadow her four birdies on the day. She sat 2-under par after the sixth hole, but picked up five strokes in the next three holes and eventually finished the first round at 4-over par with a 76 to tie for 38th, second best for GRU.
Sophomore duo Josefine Nyqvist and Eunice Yi weren't there usual selves in the first round. Nyqvist had three bogeys on the front and the back nine and carded a quadruple and double to finish with a 12-over 84, while Yi ended the first day with a 10-plus 82 with a slew of bogeys. Yi is in a tie for 76 and Nyqvist 78.
Freshman Sonya Knebel made her debut in Puerto Rico and began her event with a bogey followed by a triple. She made birdie on #11 and #14 to move 6-over par and end the opening 18 holes with a 78 to sit tied for 51st.
GRU continues play in Puerto Rico tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 16 with the second round at the Rio Mar Resort. LIVE SCORING
2015 LPRC TOURNAMENT FIELD – STANDINGS (DAY 1)
POS. SCHOOL RD1. TO PAR
1 Arkansas 290 +2
2 Kent State 291 +3
T3 Iowa State 293 +5
T3 TCU 296 +8
T5 LSU 296 +8
7 NC State 297 +9
8 Purdue 300 +12
9 Indiana 301 +13
10 Auburn 302 +14
11 Georgia 306 +18
12 GRU Augusta 310 +22
13 Michigan 312 +24
14 Iowa 317 +29
15 Clemson 319 +31
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