LONGCRIER LEADS WOMEN'S GOLF AT FIRST ROUND OF NCAA WEST REGIONAL

5/10/2007

ST. GEORGE, Utah — Led by a 4-over 75 from Emily Longcrier, the Sacramento State women’s golf team sits in 15th place following the first day of the NCAA Div. I West Regional on Thursday. The three-round tournament will continue on Friday at Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club.

Stanford leads the team standings and holds a four-stroke lead. The Cardinal shot 287 during the first round and are followed by host BYU and Oklahoma State which both shot 291 and are tied for second. Top-seeded Arizona State is third at 294 while UC Irvine (295), New Mexico (298) and Denver (299) occupy fourth through seventh, respectively. After the first 18 holes, Pepperdine and Washington State are tied for the key eighth position at 301. The top eight teams from each of the three regionals advance to the NCAA Championships.

Sacramento State, which is making its first NCAA Regional appearance in school history, shot 318 and is tied with Hawai’i for 15th. The Hornets were seeded 20th out of 21 teams heading into the week but managed to outscore, UNLV, Memphis, Cal, Nebraska and Columbia in the first round.

Individually, Longcrier is tied for 32nd to lead the team. The junior opened her round with three straight pars before birdying the par-4 fourth. A bogey on the fifth hole returned her to even where she stayed through the 12th hole. On the par-4 13th, Longcrier double-bogeyed to move her to 2-over. She followed with two pars but then bogeyed 16 and 17 before parring 18.

While Longcrier was consistent through her round, junior Heather LeMaster rode a roller coaster. The Sacramento native bogeyed the first hole and then evened her score with a birdie on the third. A triple-bogey on the seventh and a bogey on the eight moved her to 4-over before she birdied the par-5 ninth. After a double bogey to start to the back nine, LeMaster eagled the par-5 11th to drop back to 3-over. Bogeys on 13 and 14 was followed by a birdie on 16 but a triple on the par-4 17th ended her round at 7-over

Senior Jennifer Parkes shot 81 and is tied for 75th following the first 18 holes. Parkes was the lone Hornet to birdie the opening hole and stayed 1-under through two. However, Parkes bogeyed four of the next six holes to stand at 5-over through nine. She began the second half of her round with three pars and a bogey but then bogeyed 14, 15 and double-bogeyed 16 before bouncing back to par the final two holes.

Margaux Sheehan, who was the medalist at the Big Sky Championships, parred the first three holes and stood at 1-over after five. A bogey on the sixth and ninth and a double on the seventh lifted her to 5-over through nine. Sheehan, again, was solid after the turn, playing the first five holes at 2-over. But a bogey on 15 was followed by a double on 16, a bogey on 17 and another double on 18.

Kim Coppin concluded the quintet with a round of 89. Coppin doubled the opening hole and was never able to get back on track. Coppin did par four of the next eight holes but added two boges, a double bogey and a quadruple-bogey on the par-3 eighth. Her back nine consisted of five pars, a bogey, two double bogeys and a triple.

Oklahoma State Pernilla Lindberg holds a one-stroke lead after shooting a 3-under 68. Jennifer Tangtiphaiboontana of Stanford is second with a 69 and is followed by Pepperdine’s Jayvie Agojo, OSU’s Amanda Johnson and Denver’s Stephanie Sherlock who are in a three-way tie for third at 70.

After scorching sun and high temperatures slowed play down during the opening round, tee times for Friday might be adjusted to get the players off the course earlier.