Work Awaits

BELLEAIR, Fla. — Vanderbilt women’s golf started strong in the opening round of the SEC Championship but faded on the back nine as the Commodores finished 8-over-par as a team and stand in a four-way tie for 12th at Pelican Golf Club.

No. 21 Vanderbilt hit the turn at 1-under and among the top four before the first three holes of the back nine dropped the Commodores to 6-over and down the leaderboard.

“I thought we got off to a great start and looked really sharp through the first six-to-seven holes and actually made the turn under par,” head coach Greg Allen said. “We gave a lot back on 10-12 today, but I was proud of the fight we showed finishing. You’ve got to hit some really committed shots into 16 and 18 and we did that – something we failed to do last year.”

Lynn Lim paced the Commodores with an even-par 70 in the opening circuit. Lim carded four birdies, all on the front nine, to stand tied in 20th as an individual. Sara Im battled to a 1-over-par 73, holing four birdies of her own.

Freshman Angelina Tolentino steadied from a stretch of three-straight bogeys to close the front nine and played the back at even par to finish at 3-over 73. Tillie Claggett hit the clubhouse at 4-over 74 and Ava Merrill played to a 5-over 75, going 1-under on the back nine.

“I was also proud of how Ava hung in there and continued to fight after her big number on No. 7,” Allen said referencing Merrill’s rebound following a triple at the par-5 seventh.

South Carolina raced to a commanding nine-stroke lead with a 14-under opening round. Tennessee and Mississippi State stand tied for seventh at 3-over, leaving Vandy five strokes back of the cutline with two rounds to play.

“There’s a lot of golf left, and we know what we’re capable of doing,” said Allen. “The girls have a great attitude, and I think they’re up for the challenge. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and I think sometimes this group plays better when their backs are against the wall.”

Vanderbilt will tee off round two beginning at 9:10 a.m. ET/8:10 a.m. CT on the back nine Tuesday morning. The Commodores will play alongside a combination of golfers from Missouri, Georgia and Oklahoma.