Tech tops the leaderboard through rainy day one of Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate
MORGANTON, N.C. – The Tennessee Tech women's golf team powered through a rain-soaked opening day of action at the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate on Monday, soaring through the first two rounds to the top of the leaderboard at Mimosa Hills Golf and Country Club in Morganton, N.C.
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
MORGANTON, N.C. – The Tennessee Tech women's golf team powered through a rain-soaked opening day of action at the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate on Monday, soaring through the first two rounds to the top of the leaderboard at Mimosa Hills Golf and Country Club in Morganton, N.C.
Ranking second following a first-round tally of 303, the Golden Eagles bounced back from a lengthy rain delay to jump into first place with a second round of 307, skipping past Wofford for the top spot with a 610. Wofford's Bella Kent led all individuals following the first day of play, sporting a 3-over 147.
For the purple and gold, Chloe Griffith led the charge on day one, carding back-to-back rounds of 75 to rank fifth among the 58-golfer field. The sophomore tallied two birdies and 11 pars in round one before repeating the process in round two.
Rookie Kailey Lane followed her teammate by just a single stroke, tying for sixth behind a two-round tally of 151. The freshman kicked off the day with a team-best score of 74, racking up four birdies along the way. She tacked on four more birdies in round two on her way to a 77.
Next among the Golden Eagles on the leaderboard, Kaydi Rhodes tied for 11th while delivering a composite score of 154. The junior produced a 78 with one birdie in round one before bouncing back for a 76 with four birdies in her second trip around the course.
Rounding out the scoring crew for the day, Sydney Branson dropped in a 155 between both rounds to tie for 14th overall. The junior fired off four birdies for a first-round 76 and slapped two more birdies to her total with a 79 in round two.
Competing as an individual, Reagan Stuke tied for 22nd with rounds of 80 and 79 for a 159, totaling seven birdies between both rounds. Completing Tech's lineup with a 163 was Lydia Baker, producing rounds of 82 and 81 with two total birdies.
The third and final round of the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate is set to kick off with a 7:00 a.m. CT shotgun start on Tuesday morning.
| Top 5 Teams: | ||||||
| 1. | Tennessee Tech | 303-307=610 | +34 | |||
| 2. | Wofford | 301-311=612 | +36 | |||
| 3. | North Carolina A&T | 306-319=625 | +49 | |||
| 4. | Gardner-Webb | 316-310=626 | +50 | |||
| 5. | App State | 311-316=627 | +51 | |||
| Leaderboard (58 Golfers) | ||||||
| 1. | Bella Kent (Wofford) | 73-74=147 | +3 | |||
| 5. | Chloe Griffith | 75-75=150 | +6 | |||
| T-6. | Kailey Lane | 74-77=151 | +7 | |||
| T-11. | Kaydi Rhodes | 78-76=154 | +10 | |||
| T-14. | Sydney Branson | 76-79=155 | +11 | |||
| T-22. | Reagan Stuke (I) | 80-79=159 | +15 | |||
| T-33. | Lydia Baker | 82-81=163 | +19 | |||
| (I) - indicates competing as an individual | ||||||
Photo by Mark Haskett, Western Carolina Athletics
