HILTON HEAD, S.C. – Anderson senior Tiffany Elam fired a 2-under-par 70 and leads the Battle at Hilton Head by two shots, while the women's golf team is in second place following opening-round action Monday at the two-day event hosted by Lincoln Memorial.
Florida Tech (297) leads the Trojans by eight strokes entering Tuesday's final round at the 5,934 yard, par-72 Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort.
Carson-Newman (308) is in third place, three shots further back, while Columbus State (310) is fourth. Lenoir-Rhyne (315) and Missouri-St. Louis (316) are fifth and sixth, respectively, with Rogers State (319) and Tusculum (319) sharing the seventh slot. Henderson State (324) is in the ninth spot, while Mount Olive (325) and Converse (325) are deadlocked in 10th place.
Queens (326), Barton (330), the host Railsplitters (330), King (331), Merrimack (334), Davenport (338), Southern Wesleyan (342), Belmont Abbey (343), Southern New Hampshire (347) and Chowan (418) round out the 21-team field.
Elam notched four birdies during Monday's opening round and leads Florida Tech's Hailey Ko by two strokes, while the Panther's Lucy Eaton and Paola Ortiz are tied for third – three shots off the lead. Four additional golfers are tied for fifth after carding 3-over-par 75s on the day.
AU freshman Victoria Hall is tied for 13th after posting a first-round 76, while
junior Kate Hill carded a 78 and is in a six-way tie for 24th. Freshman Kerrington Lamb notched an 81 and is tied for 42nd, with sophomore Anna Freeman rounding out the Trojan contingent in a tie for 62nd after carding an 84.
The final round is slated to get underway on Tuesday morning.
