GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Loyola University New Orleans women's golf team put together a solid effort during the first round of the WCU Gulf Shores Invitational, sitting in second place and three strokes out of the lead. Playing at the Peninsula Golf Club in Gulf Shores, Alabama, the tournament will conclude on Tuesday with 18 more holes.
The 10th-ranked Wolf Pack carded a 313 (+25) as a team, which is three strokes from first-place No. 7 William Carey and six strokes ahead of third-place Spring Hill. Teams in fourth through seventh place are all more than 20 strokes behind the Top 3 teams to create a clear separation.
Catherine Singletary led the way for Loyola in a tie for second place with a 4-over, 76 during her first round, and Emma Smithers is not too far behind in a tie for fourth after a 6-over, 78. Singletary started her round on the 11th hole with a birdie, then three bogeys and two birdies during the next five holes had her even-par through six holes. She'd proceed to card two pars and a bogey to finish her first nine holes 1-over, then three more bogeys and a birdie during the second nine finished off her round. Smithers, starting on the No. 10 tee, had four bogeys through her first five holes, but the senior stabilized her round with five consecutive pars through the turn to the back nine. She'd end her round with two birdies and four bogeys to sit inside the Top 5 of the leaderboard.
Blair McKenzie and Lainey Cristan are also in the Top 10 to make it four for the team, as McKenzie is tied for sixth with a 7-over, 79 score and Cristan is tied for eighth after an 8-over, 80 round. McKenzie had nine pars through her first 11 holes before finishing her round 3-over during her final six holes. Cristan was 2-over through eight holes before hitting a rough patch on her ninth, 10th and 11th holes. Three more pars, a bogey and a birdie would end her day.
Aidan McLachlan rounded out the team with a 12-over, 84, to sit tied for 16th, and Shelby Walls, who was playing as an independent, shot an 18-over, 90, for 28th place.
Women's Team Leaderboard
1. #7 William Carey – Round 1: 310 (+22)
2. #10 Loyola – Round 1: 313 (+25)
3. Spring Hill – Round 1: 319 (+31)
Women's Individual Leaderboard
1. Anna Krieger (William Carey) – Round 1: 73 (+1)
T2. Catherine Singletary (Loyola) – Round 1: 76 (+4)
T2. Olivia Leinart (Spring Hill) – Round 1: 76 (+4)
T4. Emma Smithers (Loyola) – Round 1: 78 (+6)
T4. Kayla Starr (William Carey) – Round 1: 78 (+6)
Loyola Women's Leaderboard
2. Catherine Singletary – Round 1: 76 (+4)
T4. Emma Smithers – Round 1: 78 (+6)
T6. Blair McKenzie – Round 1: 79 (+7)
T8. Lainey Cristan – Round 1: 80 (+8)
T16. Aidan McLachlan – Round 1: 84 (+12)
28. Shelby Walls (I) – Round 1: 90 (+18)
You can keep up with the Pack by following Wolf Pack Athletics on Facebook at Facebook.com/LoyolaWolfPack, Twitter and Instagram @LoyolaWolfPack, and by checking out our website at LoyolaWolfPack.com.
