SAFFOLD LEADS WOMEN'S GOLF INTO SECOND PLACE FOLLOWING FIRST ROUND OF WSU TOURNEY
9/21/2009
PULLMAN, Wash. — Junior Samantha Saffold shot a 3-over 75 and is in sixth place after the first round of the Northwest Dodge Dealers Inland Cup, Monday afternoon at the Palouse Ridge Golf Club. Saffold's effort helped vault Sacramento State into sole possession of second place with two rounds to play.
As a team, the Hornets shot 308 and are one stroke behind Nevada. Oregon State and Idaho are tied for third at 309 while Gonzaga is fifth at 312. The 13-team field also includes Montana (318), Portland State (320), Eastern Washington (333) and Weber State (343) of the Big Sky Conference.
"We survived," Sacramento State head coach David Sutherland said following the round. "The golf course is playing like a beast. The win is blowing, they have tough pin placements and the greens are rock hard. This is a course setup similar to what we'd see at the West Regional or NCAA (Championship).
"This is good for our team. For the second straight week we are in the hunt."
Saffold opened her round by playing the front nine at 1-under. The Sacramento native birdied the par-4 first and the par-3 sixth and had just one bogey on the side. Her back nine included five pars and four bogeys and places her three strokes behind Idaho's Amanda Jacobs for the individual lead.
Sophomore Justine Chen shot 76 to move into a tie for seventh place. Chen opened with three straight pars before bogeying four of the next five holes. After making the turn at 4-over, she was even on the final nine with two birdies and two bogeys.
Senior Brooke Green is tied for 16th with a round of 78. Green shot 39 on both the front and back nine in a round that included two birdies, 10 pars, six bogeys and a double bogey.
Reigning Big Sky Golfer of the Week, Julie Shutler shot 79 and is tied for 18th. Shutler was 5-over on the front nine after double-bogeying a pair of par-3s. The Manteca, Calif., native responded on the back nine with a 2-over 38.
Freshman Kercia Brackel cracked the lineup for the first time and is tied for 66th with a round of 87. Brackel was 4-over following her opening three holes and made the run at 9-over. However, she closed strongly with pars on her final three holes.
Sophomore Hannah Summerhays also made the trip with the team and is competing as an individual. Summerhays is tied for 41st after shooting 82.
The 54-hole tournament continues on Tuesday with the second round. The final round will be played on Wednesday.
TEAM SCORES
1. Nevada 307 2. Sacramento State 308
T3. Oregon State 309
T3. Idaho 309
5. Gonzaga 312
6. Montana 318
T7. Washington State 320
T7. Portland State 320
9. Fresno State 323
10. Boise State 324
11. Eastern Washington 333
12. Seattle 336
13. Weber State 343
INDIVIDUAL TOP FIVE
1. Amanda Jacobs, UI, 72
T2. Cara Freeman, OSU, 74
T2. Eugenia Guerra, NEV, 74
T2. Kayla Martellaro, UI, 74
T2. Sage Suffecool, GON, 74
PULLMAN, Wash. — Junior 
