University of Illinois
Illini Spring Classic
Illinois and Park Lead After Round One of Spring Classic
April 4, 2008 | Women's Golf
April 4, 2008
Illini Spring Classic Homepage
URBANA, Ill. - The Illini Spring Classic opened with 18 holes on Friday, rather than the scheduled 36 holes, and host Illinois (319) leads the 15-team field by two stokes. Temperatures in the 30s and strong wind gusts forced play to be halted after a single round. The final 36 holes of the tournament are scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, with a shotgun start at 8 a.m.
"Obviously playing conditions were challenging today and we were well-prepared for that," Illinois coach Renee Slone said. "We practiced at Stone Creek all this week, which really helped us become mentally prepared for days like today. I must say that everyone maintained a positive attitude throughout the round."
The Orange and Blue lead second-place Southern Illinois (321) by two strokes and third-place Toledo (322) by three strokes. Cincinnati (325) and Bradley (328) round out the top five, respectively.
Senior Seul Ki Park fired the low round of the day, carding three birdies on the way to a four-over 76. Park tallied an even-par 36 on the front nine and a four-over 40 on the back, placing her two strokes ahead of a four-way tie for second. Cincinnati's Bambee Dela Paz, Indianapolis' Lyndsay McBride, Southern Illinois' Christine Zoerlein and Toledo's Michelle Hui each notched an opening round 78 (+6).
"Realistically, par was closer to 75 today with the winds and everything, so Seul Ki's round was very solid," Slone said.
Freshman Raquel Hopton sits tied for ninth after an opening round 80 (+8). Senior Stephanie Mory tallied three birdies on the day, shooting an 81 (+9), good for a tie for 16th. Senior Kristine Cook notched an 82 (+10), tying her for 21st, while junior Nancy Featherstone turned in an 88 (+16), placing her in a tie for 53rd. Senior Kristin Kallergis competed as an individual and also shot an opening round 82 (+10), tying her for 21st.
"Tomorrow's conditions should be better and more conducive to low scoring," Slone said. "Hopefully, we can go out there and post low numbers."
The tournament will conclude on Saturday, April 5, with 36 holes beginning at 8 a.m. For continued coverage of the Illini Spring Classic, visit fightingillini.com for results and a full recap following tomorrow's rounds.
