Tickets
First Round Results | Championship Central
PALM COAST, Fla. - Junior Valentina Herrera carded an even-par 72 to place just one shot off the lead during the first round of play at the 2016 American Athletic Conference Women's Golf Championship at the Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Resort & Golf Club in Palm Coast, Florida. As a team, the Bearcats are in sixth place following day one.
// SCORING TEAM
Battling windy playing conditions at the oceanfront course, Herrera (Bogotá, Colombia) holed one birdie on the front nine, but was able to really excel on the back with three birdies to come away from the first round with an even-par 72. This stellar round put the junior just one shot behind leader Frida Gustafsson Spang of East Carolina. Fellow junior Ashley Cassidy (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) struggled on the front nine with just three pars, but bounced back on the way in with back-to-back birdies on holes 11 and 12.
2. Valentina Herrera - 72 (E)
T-15. Ashley Cassidy - 79 (+7)
T-27. Stefanie Mitchell - 82 (+10)
T-30. Christina Gloor - 83 (+11)
44. Tara Liebert - 89 (+17)
// TEAM RESULTS
T1. No. 32 East Carolina, 309 (+21)
T1. Memphis, 309 (+21)
T3. UCF, 311 (+23)
T3. USF, 311 (+23)
T3. No. 29 SMU, 311 (+23)
6. Cincinnati, 316 (+28)
7. No. 28 Houston, 319 (+31)
8. No. 44 Tulane, 321 (+33)
9. Tulsa, 329 (+41)
// TOP-10 INDIVIDUALS
1. Frida Gustafsson Spang, East Carolina, 71 (-1)
2. Valentina Herrera, Cincinnati, 72 (E)
T3. Nicole Autrique, USF, 74 (+2)
T3. Brigitte Dunne, SMU, 74 (+2)
T3. Emily Goldenstein, Memphis, 74 (+2)
T6. No. 47 Ashley Holder, UCF, 75 (+3)
T6. Ayaka Nakayama, UCF, 75 (+3)
T8. Leighann Cabush, Memphis, 76 (+4)
T8. Nicoline Engstroem Skaug, East Carolina, 76 (+4)
T8. No. 72 Jenny Haglund, SMU, 76 (+4)
T8. Madison Thomas, Memphis, 76 (+4)
// COACH CARL ON THE BEARCATS
"There were tough conditions today with sustained winds of 25 mph-plus," said head coach Janet Carl. "I'm so proud of Valentina [Herrera] and her great round. She battled the entire way. We let some shots slip away today so our focus the next two days is on good decisions and our level of commitment. We have an uphill climb, but it is more than possible to come out on top."
// MONDAY'S SECOND ROUND
Play will resume Monday morning with Houston, Tulane, and Tulsa teeing off at 8 a.m. UC will be grouped with USF and SMU and will begin teeing off at 8:50 a.m. on tee number one. Follow along with live scoring here.