Estes Tied For Fifth At C-USA Championships
April 17, 2011 | Women's Golf
April 17, 2011
GULF SHORES, Ala. - Senior Colleen Estes carded an opening round 74 (two-over par) at the 2011 Conference USA Women's Golf Championships and currently sits in a tie for fifth place. The three-day par-72 championship is being played The Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club.
Estes, who entered the championship having recorded three-straight Top-20 finishes, birdied three holes on the front nine for a three-under 33, but struggled on the back with a five-over 41.
Amber Littman (35-43) and Fanny Wolte (38-40) are tied for 25th after round one with a six-over 78. Junior Amy Otteson (41-38) is one stroke back at 79 and is currently tied for 31st. Rounding out the Pirates roster is redshirt freshman Faith Hardison who is tied for 46th with a round of 86 (43-43).
SMU and UTEP currently sit tied atop the leaderboard after each team registered a 302 in the opening round. Tulane sits just one stroke behind the leaders with a 303, while UCF recorded a 304 to take the four-spot. East Carolina, Tulsa and Southern Miss tied for fifth, each with a round of 309. Memphis (312), Marshall (316) and UAB (317) round out the field after day one, respectively.
UTEP's Teresa Nogues was the lone sub-par finisher of the day, recording a 71 in the first round to give her sole possession of the lead. Nogues birdied three holes in the first 18, including two on the front nine. Tulsa's Marita Engzelius and SMU's Amy Ruengmateekhun were both one stroke off the leader after totaling even-par 72's in the tournament's first round.
With the Championship being played on the Cypress-Marsh holes, golfers were quickly met by the tournament-style course. The No. 2 hole registered as the most difficult hole of the day, averaging 0.82 strokes above par. Several participants regained lost strokes before the turn, however, as No. 8 brought 15 birdies.
Second-round action will begin at 9 a.m. CT as UAB and Marshall start the day. Live stats for the day's competition will be on GolfStat.com.
