May 19, 2011

BRYAN, Texas - The Coastal Carolina women's golf team concluded its competition on the second day of the NCAA Championships with an overall score of 322 Thursday afternoon from the Traditions Golf Course.

The Chanticleers are in 24th place on the par-72, 6,260 yard course with an overall score of 624 (322, 302). Second-ranked UCLA leads the event with an overall score of 584 (289, 295), while No. 4 Purdue (292, 295 = 587), No. 7 LSU (292, 296 = 588), No. 4 Texas A&M (295, 294 = 589), No. 22 Vanderbilt (297, 294 = 591) and No. 5 Virginia (291, 300 = 591) round out the top 5 teams.

Coastal sophomore Jessica Alexander moved up 46 spots on Thursday and is now tied for 49th place after shooting an even 72 in round two. Alexander opened the day with back-to-back bogies on holes 1 and 2 of the front nine, but answered by making par on the next two holes before recording birdies on holes 5 and 6. The Riverview, Fla., native made par on the final 12 holes to finish even. She shot a 79 in round one and enters the third day of the tournament with an overall score of 151. In round one, Alexander picked up a birdie on hole 12 and went on to make par on 10 of the next 15 holes.

Sophomore Brittany Henderson improved her position by 51 spots following a 71 in round two and is now tied for 63rd place with an overall score of 152. Henderson birdied the third hold on the front nine and made par on the nine holes before firing another birdie on hole 13 of the back nine. She ended her day by making par on the final five holes on her way to finishing one-under par. In round one, Henderson opened the event with a double bogey on the first hole of the back nine, but answered by making par on seven of the next eight holes.

Junior Kaitlin Higginbotham shot a 78 on Wednesday and moved up 12 spots and is now tied for 106th place. Higginbotham registered three birdies on the front nine and one more on the back nine to finish her day two-under par. n 82 and is tied for 118th place. Higginbotham made par on six holes on the back nine and then registered three birdies on the front nine en route to an 82 Wednesday in round one. The Norman, Okla., native now owns an overall score of 160.

Freshman Courtney Boe carded an 81 Thursday in round two on her way to an overall score of 161. Boe, who is tied for 109th place, birdied hole 11 on the back nine and made par on six other holes. She fired an 80 in round one and made par on six of the first seven holes and finished the back nine with a birdie on hole 18.

Senior Alicia Grier shot an 85 in round two and is currently in 195th place with an overall score of 167. Grier carded an 82 in round one and had a birdie on hole 13 of the back nine and went on to make par on six of nine holes on the front nine.

Day three of the NCAA Championships begins Friday morning at 9 a.m. (EST) with a shotgun start.

NCAA D1 Women's Championships
Traditions Golf Course
Bryan, Texas
May 18-21

TEAM SCORES
1. UCLA - 289, 295 = 584 (+8)
2. Purdue - 292, 295 = 587 (+11)
3. LSU - 292, 296 = 588 (+12)
4. Texas A&M - 295, 294 = 589 (+13)
5. Vanderbilt - 297, 294 = 591 (+15)
5. Virginia - 291, 300 = 591 (+15)
7. Florida - 294, 298 = 592 (+16)
8. California - 306, 292 = 598 (+22)
8. Tennessee - 299, 299 = 598 (+22)
8. North Carolina - 305, 293 = 598 (+22)
11. Arizona - 304, 295 = 599 (+23)
11. Arizona State - 296, 303 = 599 (+23)
11. Minnesota - 305, 294 = 599 (+23)
14. Arkansas - 305, 296 = 601 (+25)
15. USC - 302, 302 = 604 (+28)
15. Alabama - 301, 303 = 604 (+28)
17. Wake Forest - 298, 307 = 605 (+29)
18. Stanford - 308, 305 = 613 (+37)
19. South Carolina - 302, 315 = 617 (+41)
20. UC Davis - 313, 305 = 618 (+42)
20. Notre Dame - 308, 310 = 618 (+42)
20. Ohio State - 303, 315 = 618 (+42)
23. Washington - 312, 307 = 619 (+43)
24. Coastal Carolina - 322, 302 = 624 (+48)

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
1. Austin Ernst, LSU - 72, 66 = 128 (-6)
2. Numa Gulyanamitta, Purdue - 71, 70 = 141 (-3)
3. Tiffany Lua, UCLA - 71, 71 = 142 (-2)
3. Mia Piccio, Florida - 72, 70 = 142 (-2)
3. Marta Silva Zamora, Georgia - 71, 71 = 142 (-2)

COASTAL CAROLINA SCORES
T49. Jessica Alexander - 79, 72 = 151 (+7)
T63. Brittany Henderson - 81, 71 = 152 (+8)
T106. Kaitlin Higginbotham 82, 78 = 160 (+16)
T109. Courtney Boe - 80, 81 = 161 (+17)
125. Alicia Grier - 82, 85 = 167 (+23)