May 18, 2004

OPELIKA, Ala. - The Baylor women's golf team didn't show any signs of a program making its first-ever appearance in a national championship as the Bears opened with a strong 299 Tuesday to stand in seventh place, just one stroke out of the Top 5, after the first round of the NCAA Championships hosted by Auburn at the 6,215-yard, par-72 Grand National Lake Course.

Senior Michaelyn Morgan (Austin, Texas) played her best round since the fall, tying for 18th and leading the Bears with a 1-over par 73. Morgan carded birdies on four and 12, both par fives.

Senior Kelli McKandless (Hamilton, Texas) and sophomore Josefin Svenningsson (Gislaved, Sweden) are each tied for 34th at 74. McKandless also birdied a pair of par fives, four and 14, and added another to close out her round on 18. Svenningsson birdied one and four and closed out her round with 10 straight pars.

Freshman Anna Rehnholm (Karlskrona, Sweden) and sophomore Meredith Jones (Eugene, Ore.) are tied for 83rd at 78. Rehnholm had 13 pars, but a double bogey on 14 was costly. Jones also had a solid round except for a double bogey on the par-3 15th.

Oklahoma State leads the tournament with an even-par 288, one stroke ahead of Duke and UCLA (289). Ohio State is fourth at 296, followed by Wake Forest and Vanderbilt (298), who are each just one stroke up on the Bears.

The championship continues with the second round on Wednesday and can be followed with live scoring on BaylorBears.com. The Bears tee off at 12:30 p.m. from the 10th tee.

Baylor Individual Scores
T18. Michaelyn Morgan        73
T34. Kelli McKandless        74
T34. Josefin Svenningsson    74
T83. Meredith Jones          78
T83. Anna Rehnholm           78

Team Standings
1. Oklahoma State      288
T2. Duke               289
T2. UCLA               289
4. Ohio State          296
T5. Wake Forest        298
T5. Vanderbilt         298
7. Baylor              299
8. Florida State       301
T9. Furman             302
T9. Georgia            302
T9. Arizona            302
T9. Texas              302
T9. Michigan State     302
T14. Stanford          303
T14. Tennessee         303
T16. New Mexico        304
T16. North Carolina    304
18. Washington         305
19. Texas A&M          306
T20. Southern Cal      307
T20. Purdue            307
22. UNLV               308
23. California         309
24. Arizona State      310