Tigers in Battle Atop the Leaderboard At Liz Murphey Collegiate

Photo By: LSUsports.net

11/7/2020
LSU Sports Information
By: Judy Willson

    ​                Tigers in Battle Atop the Leaderboard At Liz Murphey Collegiate
 
    ATHENS, Ga. – The LSU women’s golf team, currently ranked No. 1 in the Golfweek/Sagarin ratings, is in a battle at the top of the leaderboard following the first round of the 48th annual Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic. The Tigers are currently in a tie for second place with a 4-over 292. Sophomores Latanna Stone and Ingrid Lindblad each finished the round at 1-under 71 and tied for fourth place.
 
LSU started the back nine in a tie for eighth place before moving into a tie for fifth before the final hole of the day. Lindblad made birdie on 18 to put LSU in contention for the tournament title.
 
“It was a tale of two sides for us today,” said LSU women’s golf head coach Garrett Runion. “We knew the front nine, in particular the first four holes, were some of the harder holes on the course and we didn’t play them the best that we could today. Thankfully everybody remained calm, stayed patient and kept fighting.”
 
Stone led the charge for the Tigers all day. A candidate for the 2021 ANNIKA Award, she shot even on the front nine, settling down after bogeying two holes early in the round. After the turn she hit five consecutive pars, followed by a birdie on 15, and finished with three pars. She shot 2-under over the last 15 holes to sit below par for the round. It was the fourth time this season Stone has shot a round of par or under.
 
Lindblad, also a 2021 ANNIKA award candidate, shot par on the first eight holes of the round before a bogey on Hole No. 9 put her at 1-over. After the turn, she stayed steady with six consecutive pars followed by birdies on 16 and 18 to shoot 2-under on the back nine and finish below par for the fifth time this season.
 
Freshman Carla Tejedo Mulet finished the round at 2-over 74 and in a tie for 19th place. The first half of the round she shot 3-over and followed up at 1-under on the back nine with eight pars and one birdie on 15.
 
Senior Kendall Griffin added a 4-over 76 to the team scoring, while junior transfer Jessica Bailey shot 5-over 77. Griffin finished the round with seven consecutive pars to finish even on the back nine. Bailey shot 1-under on the back nine after a round start on the front nine.
 
“Only making two bogeys as a team on the back nine and having every player shoot the back even par or better was big for us. It ultimately helped us climb out of the hole we dug early on and moved us up the leaderboard.
 
“Tomorrow we go off in the first wave of tee times and will have a chance to post something good. The good news is that I know all five players are capable of playing better.”
 
LSU will tee off at 7:30 a.m. CT from Hole No. 1 for the second round on Saturday in the following order, paired with Mississippi State and Auburn: 7:30 –Bailey; 7:41 – Griffin; 7:52 – Tejedo Mulet; 8:03 – Stone and 8:14 - Lindblad. Live scoring is available at Golfstat.com.
 
Liz Murphey Collegiate – thru Round 1
1. Georgia (A) – 288 E
2. LSU – 292 +4
2. Vanderbilt – 292 +4
2. Tennessee – 292 +4
2. Mississippi State – 292 +4
6. Auburn – 293 +5
7. Arkansas – 296 +8
7. Kentucky – 296 +8
9. Texas A&M – 299 +11
10. Alabama – 303 +15
11. Georgia (B) – 305 +17
12. Missouri – 309 +21
 
LSU Scores
T4. Latanna Stone – 71 -1
T4. Ingrid Lindblad – 71 -1
T19. Carla Tejedo Mulet – 74 +2
T38. Kendall Griffin – 76 +4
T46. Jessica Bailey – 77 +5