The #5-ranked Dalton State Women's Golf team had an excellent opening round and currently sit in 1st place in the Southern States Athletic Conference Championships being held at the Par-72, 5,736-yard Arrowhead Country Club in Montgomery, AL. The Roadrunners carded a (+13, 301) to take a 3-stroke lead over 2nd place William Carey (+16, 304).
The Roadrunners had a confident start on the first day of the tournament. Tia Teiniketo fired (-2, 70) and currently sits in 1st place. She was also the only golfer under par for the opening round.
Teiniketo opened birdie-par-birdie to cruise through the front 9 at (-2, 34). The back gave her a little trouble in the beginning with back-to-back bogey's on 10 and 11, but Teiniketo would end strong with birdies on 16 and 18 to finish (E, 36) on the back.
All-American Katie Dalton carded an opening round (+1, 73) and currently sits in 2nd place. Dalton opened the front with a birdie on 1, and posted another birdie at 4, but followed with a bogey on 5 to go out at (-1, 35). The back would not give Dalton too much trouble as she posted two bogies on the 11 and 15 to finish the back 9, (+2, 38).
Haejin Choe shot (+5, 77) and currently sits in a tie for 7th place. Choe had a good start on the front 9, with two bogies on the 3 and 6 to finish (+2, 38). Choe would find some difficulty on the back as she posted bogey-double bogey on 12 and 13, but would find her groove to finish strong with par at 14-18 to finish (+3, 39).
Isabel Rijos (+9, 81) rounded out scoring for the Roadrunners and currently sits tied for 19th. Rijos had a solid front 9, posting bogies on 1, 5, and 8 to finish the front at (+3, 39). Rijos had a rough start on the back, posting double bogey-bogey on the first two holes, but would keep her pace and finish with par on 16-18 to finish (+6, 42) on the back 9.
Caroline Griffin carded an opening round (+10, 82) and currently sits in a tie for 22nd. Griffin opened the front with bogeys on 1, 6, and 8, plus a tough quadrubple bogey on hole 9 to finish (+7, 43). Griffin found her stride on the back 9, and shot par on 11-15 to come in with a (+3, 39).
"We did what we had to do today." said DS women's coach Jim McGrew. "We knew William Carey would play well and we needed to get off to a solid start. Anytime you can put a score up around 300 it has been a good day." He continued "We can't control what anyone else does so we just have to come back tomorrow and go about our business of making good decisions and playing solid golf." He concluded "If we do that good happens will happen."
The Dalton State Women's Golf team will continue their march for a conference title tomorrow in the second round of the Southern States Athletic Conference Championships at Arrowhead Country Club in Montgomery, AL.