GAINESVILLE, Ga. – With four players among the top eight and paced by junior Jessica Rathbone's 1-over-par 73, the fifth-ranked Anderson women's golf team is tied for first place alongside top-ranked Lynn, following first-round action, Monday at the 2023 NCAA South Region Championship.
North Georgia is hosting the three-day, 54-hole championship on a par 72, 5,922-yard, Chattahoochee Golf Club layout.
"I am very happy with the way we played today," said Anderson Head Women's Coach Denton Moore. "This golf course is extremely tough. Everything is firm and very fast. We also had 10-20 mph winds today which made things even harder. I was extremely pleased with the way the girls handled this day mentally. It was an easy day to get frustrated and give up quickly. I had told them earlier that the game plan was going to be very conservative. I told them not to think that it was weak. I wanted them to remember how hard this course was. We played to a lot of the front portion of greens and let the ball release out. They did a great job sticking to the plan, staying in position, and not making big numbers. That is why we are tied for the lead going into round two. All five of them really grinded today. I really thought KG found something late today, and feel like she will be ready to roll tomorrow. Jess, K Mac, KK, and Zoey were all four very good today. They were patient and it paid off. If we can do that again the next two days, we will be punching out ticket to Missouri. But we have to go do again the next two days."
Including the Trojans, the impressive 12-team field boasts 11 of the top-20 teams in the nation, including four squads that are ranked among the top-10 in the country.
Anderson, which finished fourth a year ago and is bidding for its second consecutive appearance on the national stage, is deadlocked alongside Lynn, which is looking to defend its regional title following a back-and-forth daylong battle between the regional powers. No. 11 Tampa caught fire late in the round and crept steadily closer to the leaders, while finishing the day three strokes further back in third place. Limestone, the regional runners-up, as well as national runners-up a year ago and ranked 14th, holds the fourth slot, while Lee is in the all-important fifth spot – one stroke in front of Lander.
Rollins is in seventh place heading into Tuesday's second round, with 48th-ranked UNC Pembroke in eighth place. No. 3 Nova Southeastern, Wingate and Barry all share the ninth spot, with Flagler rounding out the 12-team field.
Limestone's Maria Morales, Lynn's Adriana Iribarren and Nova Southeastern's Haruka Muta are tied atop the individual leaderboard after each carded even-par 72s on the day. Rathbone offset three bogeys with a team-best four birdies and is alone in fourth place – one shot ahead of a trio that includes teammate Zoey Iglesias, who is tied for fifth place after firing a 2-over 74.
AU sophomore Kennedy McGaha is three shots off the pace and is tied for eighth place, along with grad student Kerington Lamb. Freshman Kennedy Gooding rounded out the Trojan contingent in a four-way tie for 43rd place.
On a national level, Nationally, 48 teams and 24 individuals are competing this week in the regional competition of the 2023 NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championship.
The top five teams from the regional along with the top two individuals not on an advancing team will move on to the NCAA Division II National Championships, which are slated for May 16-20 at the Fox Run Golf Club in Eureka, Mo.
Tuesday's second round is slated to get underway at 8:30 a.m.
Notables
• The Trojans' first-round 9-over-par 297 marked the sixth-lowest score in AU's NCAA Regional Tournament history.
• Rathbone's 1-over 73 matched the seventh-best round in AU's NCAA Regional Tournament history.
• Iglesias' 2-over 74 matched the 10th-best round in AU's NCAA Regional Tournament history.
• Lynn is a two-time national champion and is looking to defend its South Region title.
• Nova Southeastern has won four national championships.
• Rollins has captured six national titles.
• Lee is making its sixth regional appearance since 2016.
• Limestone finished last year as regional runners-up, as well as national runners-up.
• North Georgia's Madeline Anathasane, who is making her third consecutive trip to the NCAA South Regional as an individual, is currently tied for eighth place.
• Lynn's Maria Hoyos, who is the top-ranked golfer in the nation and tied for fifth place a year ago, is currently tied for 25th place.
• Rollins' senior Katharina Hesse, who is ranked second nationally, is in a nine-way tie for eighth place.
T1 Anderson 297
4 Jessica Rathbone 73
T5 Zoey Iglesias 74
T8 Kennedy McGaha 75
T8 Kerington Lamb 75
T43 Kennedy Gooding 80
Teams Scores
T1 Anderson 297 +9
T1 Lynn 297 +9
3 Tampa 300 +12
4 Limestone 304 +16
5 Lee 309 +21
6 Lander 310 +22
7 Rollins 312 +24
8 UNC Pembroke 313 +25
T9 Nova Southeastern 314 +26
T9 Wingate 314 +26
T9 Barry 314 +26
12 Flagler 319 +31
