University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
A-Sun Championships
Hall Leads Upstate at A-Sun Championship
4/14/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Jekyll Island, Ga. – Senior Amanda Hall opened her final A-Sun Championship with a 77 to lead the USC Upstate women's golf team in the first round of the 54-hole A-Sun Championship Monday afternoon at the Pine Lakes Course at the Jekyll Island Golf Resort.
Hall was 5-over-par after her front nine, but played her back nine at even-par with a birdie and a bogey to open with a 77. She helped the Spartans shoot a 317 team score on the day as Upstate counted Hall's 77 and three rounds of 80. The Spartans are in 10th heading into Tuesday's second round.
"The course conditions and weather were very good today," said Upstate head coach Todd Lawton. "Amanda played very well her last nine to lead us. Our team has opportunities to play well as a group if each player focuses on their capabilities. It's not about one player carrying us, it's about all of them just being solid and competitive."
Upstate will enter the second round five shots back of Lipscomb in ninth and within 11 shots of a top five position. Mercer opened the tournament with a 294 to take the overnight lead. Kennesaw State is three shots back at 297 and is followed by ETSU (300), North Florida (305), Northern Kentucky (306), Jacksonville (307), Stetson (307), Florida Gulf Coast (308), Lipscomb (312) and Upstate (317).
Upstate's Malika Allie entered the A-Sun Championship as the hottest Spartan on the course and coming off a second-place finish at the Colonel Classic last week. She went out at 2-over on the front nine and finished with an 80. Rachel Reiling squeezed in a birdie on her back nine to shoot 80 as well, while Allea Hawkins also shot 80 with a birdie on the front nine. Kinsey Soniat shot a career-best round of 82 as the fifth score for the Spartans.
Kennesaw State's Kaew Preamchuen and Jacksonville's Jessica Welch each opened with 1-under-par 71's to share the individual lead after the first round.
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