SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Paced by senior Braiden Furtick's first-round 3-over-par 75, the Anderson women's golf team is in second place following the opening round of the Converse Spring Invitational, which is being hosted by the Valkyries at the par 72, 5881-yard Carolina Country Club layout.
King (317) leads the tournament by two strokes over the Trojans, who are bidding to capture their first team title of the season after claiming second in the AU Invitational last September. Queens (320) and Converse A (322) are third and fourth, respectively, with Erskine (325), Milligan (325) and Tusculum (325) tied for fifth. Wingate (329), Pfeiffer (332) and Coker (341) round out the top 10.
Lenoir-Rhyne (344), Belmont Abbey (350), Converse B (358), Barton (361), Spartanburg Methodist (396) and Brevard (403) complete the 16-team field.
King's Elizabeth Swallow leads the chase for individual medalist honors after carding a 1-over-par 73 in the opening round, while Furtick is just two shots off the pace after firing her lowest round of the year. The Lexington, S.C., native leads four golfers who are one shot further back and tied for third. Fifteen additional players are within eight shots of the lead.
AU freshman Tiffany Elam carded an opening-round 78 and shares a four-way tie for ninth, while fellow freshman Makalyn Poole posted a 10-over-par 82 and sits in a tie for 22nd heading into Tuesday's final round. Sophomore Riley Lovorn is two shots further back in a tied for 32nd after carding an 84. Freshman Blake Hodges (86) is tied for 42nd, with freshman Samantha Ellison in 77th following a first-round 97.
The final round of the two-day event is slated to get underway Tuesday morning.
RESULTS
1 . King University 317 +29
2 . Anderson University 319 +31
3 . Queens (N.C.) 320 +32
4 . Converse A 322 +34
T 5. Erskine 325 +37
T 5. Milligan 325 +37
T 5. Tusculum 325 +37
8 . Wingate 329 +41
9 . Pfeiffer 332 +44
10 . Coker 341 +53
11 . Lenoir Rhyne 344 +56
12 . Belmont Abbey 350 +62
13 . Converse B 358 +70
14 . Barton 361 +73
15 . Spartanburg Methodist 396 +108
16 . Brevard 403 +115
Anderson University 319 +31 2nd
Braiden Furtick 75 +3 2nd
Tiffany Elam 78 +6 t-9th
Makalyn Poole 82 +10 t-22nd
Riley Lovorn 84 +12 t-32nd
Blake Hodges 86 +14 t-42nd
Samantha Ellison#97 +25 77th
