Oct. 21, 2011
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - For the first time in years, the Washington Husky women's golf team is back among the top-ranked teams in the nation. On Friday, they took their first steps in proving they belong among the nation's elite. The No. 9 Huskies shot a respectable 7-over 295 in the first round of the Mercedes Benz SEC/Pac-12 Championship at Holston Hills Country Club in Nashville, Tenn. to enter the clubhouse tied for fourth out of 23 teams. The field includes eight teams ranked in Golfstat.com's top-10 and 14 teams ranked in the top-25. "We played well," UW Head Coach Mary Lou Mulflur said from a skybox at Tennessee's Neyland Stadium, where a tournament banquet was held Friday night. "This is a great test for us and we didn't get caught up in anything. We just took care of ourselves and things we can control. That has been the theme all year, and we did a good job of that again today."
The Huskies were led by senior Sadena Parks who shot an even-par 72 and is tied for 15th out of 120 competitors. Parks, from Bethel, Wash., played the most consistent among Huskies with just one bogey on the day. She countered that bogey with a birdie on No. 18, which was the Huskies' ninth hole during the first round, and scored nine pars on her back nine. Next among Huskies was freshman Soo Bin Kim, fresh off her record-setting 13-under 200 and first college victory at the Stanford Intercollegiate. Kim shot 1-over 73 and is tied for 23rd. Freshman Cyd Okino shot 74 and is tied for 32nd, while sophomore Kelli Bowers and freshman Jennifer Yang shot 76 and are tied for 55th. Even with a great team effort on Friday, Mulflur thinks her team has yet to hit on all cylinders. "We know exactly where we're ranked and they feel they can be better," Mulflur explained. "I still don't think we have all clicked on the same day. There is better golf to be had, but I'm thrilled with the way we have been playing. "Somebody always manages to step up and when you can throw out 4-over for the day ... that's pretty good." Only two teams are under par after day one: UCLA at -7 (281) and Alabama at -4 (284). Host Tennessee is third after a 291. Colorado is tied with Washington at 295. Three schools - including No. 2 Auburn, No. 7 Vanderbilt and No. 22 Arizona - are tied for sixth at +8. Alabama's Stephanie Meadow and Vanderbilt's Lauren Stratton are tied for the lead after firing 68 in the first round. Play continues tomorrow with Washington teeing off from No. 1 starting at 11:10 local time.
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