Women’s golf headed to Greensboro, Georgia, to compete in the Lake Oconee Invitational this past Saturday and Sunday.
“It’s a brand-new tournament, the first year for it, so we’ve never seen the golf course, and there’s a lot of unknowns,” said head coach Stephanie Shelton. “We have Texas Tech and Vanderbilt, and they are always perineal teams that make it to regionals and also nationals.”
The Bucs compete in three separate nine-hole courses each day. Five Bucs opened the day at the Ridge, moved to the Bluff and ended the first day at the Cove.
The opening round started with senior Hee Ying Loy (Johor, Malaysia) with an even-par 72 to pace the Bucs. Loy performed strong, scoring back-to-back-to-back birdies and completed the opening 18 even-par.
Loy was left just six strokes off the lead after hitting a run of bokeys, heading into Sundays events.
“This time of the year is a question mark as to how it’s going to be because we’re always battling the elements and the weather out here when we’re practicing getting ready for tournaments,” said Shelton. “I’m really hoping that the girls just walk into it ready to play and trusting themselves.”
Sophomore Tereza Melecka (Belcovice, Czech Republic) went for eight straight pars closing her 27 holes of play to trail Loy’s 4-over-par total from the first day of play. Melecka featured separate streaks of 11 and eight pars in a row, finishing the day at 5-over-par, just seven strokes off the lead.
“She’s just an unwavering, always confident young lady, so I always expect her to come out and play big and play well,” said Shelton of Melecka.
Texas Tech and Auburn left leading the competition two strokes ahead of UNC-Wilmington.
The Bucs will enter day two of competition just 10 strokes behind Southern Conference foe Chattanooga.
