FAYETTEVILLE — Playing at home wasn’t as advantageous as the Arkansas women’s golf team had hoped it would be.
The Razorbacks were unable to take advantage of the comforts of home, struggling early in the first round of the SEC Championships at Blessings Golf Club. Arkansas finished at 21-over-par 309, tied for fifth, but 12 strokes behind No. 2 Alabama, which took the first-round lead at 297.
No. 5 Auburn was second at 306, and No. 15 Florida was third at 307.
Georgia’s Marta Silva Zamora and Auburn’s Patricia Sanz held the individual lead after 3-under 69s. Arkansas sophomore Emma Lavy was tied for seventh at 1-over 73.
Blessings, which played to a 6,009-yard par 72 for the first round, is considered difficult to master, even for those golfers with abundant experience on it. Add temperatures in the 40s and a brisk 10 mph wind, and Blessings more than held its own against the SEC’s best.
Defending champion Erica Popson of Tennessee shot an 11-over 83, and Arkansas sophomore Emily Tubert, the nation’s fourth-ranked golfer, scrambled to a 6-over 78. Tubert lost tee shots on 12 and 13, her first two holes of the day, to start with consecutive double bogeys.
Even Lavy, the Razorbacks’ best finisher Friday, was 3 over after three holes before settling down.
“I knew I had to calm down and make better swings,” Lavy said. “I had a great finish, but the conditions were tough. The wind was bad all day.”
The Razorbacks had spoken for weeks about how their knowledge of the course would be a comfort and not a source of pressure, but it did not work out that way.
“Oh my goodness, I can’t tell you the last time I lost two balls on those holes,” Tubert said. “I guess I was more nervous than I thought. I was going one million miles an hour.
“There were definitely some nerves.”
Arkansas Coach Shauna Estes-Taylor said despite Tubert’s poor play, the Razorbacks were still in good position. The weather will be different for today’s second round, so Estes-Taylor said the other SEC teams will have to relearn how to attack Blessings.
“We’re still in striking distance without Emily playing her best golf,” Estes-Taylor said. “On this golf course, those shots we’re behind is not a lot. We’re one hole away from making up a lot of those shots.”
Alabama Coach Mic Potter said he couldn’t evaluate his team’s play because of his unfamiliarity with Blessings. But the difficult layout, coupled with the biting wind, gave his team a lot to overcome.
“It’s a shot-maker’s course, but when the wind gets over 10 mph it makes this course doubly tough,” Potter said. “I told them it was hard, but it would suit us.”
The Crimson Tide did fine, compared to the other teams, with five golfers scoring 79 or better. Stephanie Meadow was the best at 1-under 71 and Brooke Pancake, the nation’s No. 2 golfer, was tied with Lavy at 73.
Pancake said her close friend Tubert warned her all about the perils of playing at Blessings, and Pancake said she and her teammates realized Turbert wasn’t exaggerating during Thursday’s practice round.
“We told Coach on the first hole, please tell us all the holes aren’t like this,” Pancake said. “You walk up to every tee and it keeps you on your toes.
“I could play this course 10 times and play it completely differently. We’re a fairly good ball-striking team, so the harder the better for us.”
Today’s SEC Women’s Championship tee times
HOLE 1 8:30 a.m. Amelia Hill (Georgia), Emily Podzielinski (Arkansas), Taelor Rubin (Ole Miss) 8:40 a.m. Milena Savich (Georgia), Hally Leadbetter (Arkansas), Natalie Gleadall (Ole Miss) 8:50 a.m. Rocio Sanchez Lobato (Georgia), Victoria Vela (Arkansas), Haley Millsap (Ole Miss) 9 a.m. Emilie Burger (Georgia), Emily Tubert (Arkansas), Haley Sanders (Ole Miss) 9:10 a.m. Marta Silva Zamora (Georgia), Emma Lavy (Arkansas), Ericka Schneider (Ole Miss) 9:20 a.m. Johanna Tillstrom (Alabama), Haley Wilson (Auburn), Mia Piccio (Florida) 9:30 a.m. Hannah Collier (Alabama), Marta Sanz (Auburn), Andrea Watts (Florida) 9:40 a.m. Jennifer Kirby (Alabama), Victoria Trapani (Auburn), Evan Jensen (Florida) 9:50 a.m. Brooke Pancake (Alabama), Carlie Yadloczky (Auburn), Camilla Hedberg (Florida) 10 a.m. Stephanie Meadow (Alabama), Patricia Sanz (Auburn), Isabelle Lendl (Florida)
HOLE 12 8:30 a.m. Heather Lott (Kentucky), Irina Gabasa (Vanderbilt), Erica Popson (Tennessee) 8:40 a.m. Betsie Johnson (Kentucky), Rene Sobolewski (Vanderbilt), A.J. Newell (Tennessee) 8:50 a.m. Ashleigh Albrecht (Kentucky), Anna Leigh Keith (Vanderbilt), Kaitlyn Rohrback (Tennessee) 9 a.m. Liz Breed (Kentucky), Lauren Stratton (Vanderbilt), Nathalie Mansson (Tennessee) 9:10 a.m. Ashlee Rose (Kentucky), Marina Alex (Vanderbilt), Sara Monberg (Tennessee) 9:20 a.m. Jacqueline Hedwall (LSU), Samantha Swinehart (South Carolina), Perry Katherine Furr (Mississippi State) 9:30 a.m. Lindsay Gahm (LSU), Meredith Swanson (South Carolina), Rica Tse (Mississippi State) 9:40 a.m. Tessa Teachman (LSU), Katie Burnett (South Carolina), Mary L. Gallagher (Mississippi State) 9:50 a.m. Austin Ernst (LSU), Justine Dreher (South Carolina), Elena Warren (Mississippi State) 10 a.m. Madelene Sagstrom (LSU), Amanda Strang (South Carolina), Ally McDonald (Mississippi State)
Friday’s results At Blessings Golf Club, Fayetteville Par 72, Yards 6,009 Round 1 of 3
TEAM SCORES 1. Alabama ........297 2. Auburn ..........306 3. Florida ...........307 4. Georgia ..........308 5. Arkansas .....309 5. Ole Miss ........3097. LSU ...............310 8. Miss. State ....315 8. So. Carolina ...315 10. Kentucky .....317 11. Vanderbilt ....318 12. Tennessee 320
INDIVIDUAL SCORES 1. Marta Silva Zamora, Georgia ................. 69 1. Patricia Sanz, Auburn ............................ 69 3. Marina Alex, Vanderbilt .......................... 70 4. Stephanie Meadow, Alabama ................. 71 5. Madelene Sagstrom, LSU ...................... 72 6. Brooke Pancake, Alabama ..................... 73 7. Ericka Schneider, Ole Miss .................... 74 7. Emma Lavy, Arkansas ................... 74 9. Isabelle Lendl, Florida ............................ 75 9. Ashlee Rose, Kentucky .......................... 75 11. Emilie Burger, Georgia ......................... 76 11. Sara Monberg, Tennessee ................... 76 11. Jennifer Kirby, Alabama ....................... 76 11. Haley Sanders, Ole Miss ...................... 76 15. Camilla Hedberg, Florida ...................... 76 16. Lauren Stratton, Vanderbilt .................. 77 16. Hannah Collier, Alabama ...................... 77 16. Victoria Trapani, Auburn ...................... 77 16. Carlie Yadloczky, Auburn ..................... 77 16. Ally McDonald, Mississippi State ........ 77 16. Evan Jensen, Florida ............................ 77 16. Justine Dreher, South Carolina ............ 77 16. Amanda Strang, South Carolina .......... 77 ARKANSAS GOLFERS 24. Emily Tubert, Arkansas ........................ 78 24. Victoria Vela, Arkansas ........................ 78 33. Hally Leadbetter, Arkansas .................. 80 41. Emily Podzielinski, Arkansas ............... 81
Sports, Pages 17 on 04/21/2012