ANDERSON, S.C. – Using a tournament record opening-round 283 and with freshman Kennedy Gooding matching a program-record 6-under 66, the Anderson women's golf team is in first place following opening-round action at the 2023 South Atlantic Conference Championship, Sunday at Cobb's Glen Country Club.
The Trojans are hosting the three-day, 54-hole tournament over a par-72, 5,911-yard layout.
"I don't think we could have gotten off to a better start to the SAC Championship than we did today," said Anderson Head Women's Coach Denton Moore. "I am very excited about the way we played today. But that's what it is - a great start. Unfortunately, they don't give out any trophies after the first round. The girls know how big tomorrow is. We talked about how we have to show up and repeat that performance. It is supposed to rain a good bit tomorrow, so it will require some serious grinding. I believe they will play well, but they have to show up with that same laser-like focus that they did today."
The Trojans, who are looking to become the first repeat champions since Newberry won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013, lead Wingate by 17 shots heading into Tuesday's second round. Limestone is one stroke further back in third place, while three-time champion Carson Newman is in the fourth slot. Newberry and Lincoln Memorial share fifth place, with Tusculum in seventh place. Catawba and Lenoir-Rhyne are eighth and ninth, respectively, with Coker, UVA Wise and Mars Hill rounding out the 12-team field.
Individual leaders
With Gooding matching both the SAC Championship record and the AU school record with her 6-under 66, the league's Freshman of the Year leads the chase for individual medalist honors by five strokes over Carson-Newman's Maave Cummins and Tusculum's Nilubol Panno. AU sophomore Kennedy McGaha and grad student Kerington Lamb, along with Limestone's Pennie Osterberg are all three tied for fourth place - six shots off the pace.
Junior Jessica Rathbone is just one stroke further back and shares seventh place, while sophomore Zoey Iglesias is in a three-way tie for 15th place.
"Kennedy Gooding seems to get better every time we play!" added Moore. "I did not see that round out there today. Six-under is unreal to me. I didn't feel like that kind of round was out there. KG just kept making birdies, and she definitely backed up all the awards she just brought home earlier this week. Jess, K Mac, KK, and Zoey were all very solid and consistent. That's why all five of them are in the top 15. They stuck to the plan. We made only two big numbers and overcame those with birdies. They did a great job of executing. I am extremely proud of that effort, but we need it again two more days in a row. Great start! Go Trojans."
Tuesday's second round is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m., with the Trojans slated to begin teeing off at 10:45 a.m.
Notables
• AU's first-round 5-under 283 is a tournament record – eclipsing Wingate's previous tournament record 293, which the Bulldogs set just last year.
• Gooding's 6-under 66 matched the tournament record for single round, which was previously set by Carson-Newman's Elizabeth England in 2017.
• The Trojans' opening-round 283 eclipsed their previous SAC Tournament-best 294, which was set last year.
• Gooding's first-round 66 is a school record for AU in the SAC Tournament.
• The Trojans' first-round 283 marks the fourth-best single round in program history.
• Gooding's opening-round 66 matches her school-record from the Low Tide Intercollegiate earlier this year – Kerington Lamb shares the school record with her 66 from the 2022 Lady Moc Classic.
• The Trojans are bidding to become the first repeat champions since Newberry in 2012 and 2013.
• AU is vying for its second straight SAC Championship and its third SAC title in four seasons.
• With a win, the Trojans would clinch their fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA South Region Championship.
• A victory would give AU its sixth tournament title of the year.
• Wingate and Newberry are each seeing a league-record fifth title, with the Bulldogs last winning the 2018 championship and the Wolves claiming back-to-back titles in 2012-13.
• Carson-Newman is seeking its fourth SAC title and first championship since 2015.
• Lenoir-Rhyne is also looking for its fourth SAC title after winning the 2017 SAC title, which was its first since claiming back-to-back championships in 2003 and 2004.
• Tusculum is searching for its third title and first since winning back-to-back championships in 2000 and 2001.
• The Trojans own the top team score for all three rounds after firing an 886 last year.
• Carson-Newman's Elizabeth England previously set the single-round tournament record with a second-round 66 in 2017.
• AU's Jessica Rathbone posted rounds of 67 and 69 a year ago.
• Rathbone owns the three-round tournament record with last year's 208.
Anderson
1 Kennedy Gooding 66 -6
T 4 Kerington Lamb 72 E
T 4 Kennedy McGaha 72 E
T 7 Jessica Rathbone 73 +1
T 15 Zoey Iglesias 76 +4
Teams Scores
1 Anderson 283 -5
2 Wingate 300 +12
3 Limestone 301 +13
4 Carson-Newman 304 +16
5 Newberry 306 +18
LMU 306 +18
7 Tusculum 307 +19
8 Catawba 314 +26
9 Lenoir-Rhyne 320 +32
10 Coker 324 +36
11 UVA Wise 345 +57
12 Mars Hill 351 +63
COMPLETE RESULTS
