Feb. 9, 2009

Results

PALOS VERDES, Calif. - Facing wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour, the Baylor women's golf team tallied a first-day 325 on Monday at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge. The Lady Bears head into the clubhouse after the first 18 tied for 10th place overall.

Hosted by Ohio State, the 16-team field features 10 teams in the Top 25 of the Golfweek rankings. Third-ranked Arizona State holds the team edge as the Sun Devils fired a 305 during Monday's opening round.

"Today, weather-wise, was completely brutal," said head coach Sylvia Ferdon. "We played the toughest holes on the golf course in 35 mile per hour winds. We just played way too aggressive today for the weather conditions."

Lene Hafsten-Morch paced Baylor with a first-round 76 to finish the day tied for seventh overall. Hafsten-Morch, a sophomore from Billingstad, Norway, tallied a team-high three birdies on her first nine holes.

After a strong fall season in which she recorded a team-best stroke average just above 73, Hannah Burke opened with an 8-over, 79. Burke rebounded from a tough 6-over front nine with two birdies on the final few holes. The senior from Hertfordshire, England, is tied for 21st place.

Currently tied for 54th place, Morgan Chambers carded an 83 during the first 18 holes of play. Also competing for Baylor were freshmen Jaclyn Jansen and Chelsey Cothran. Jansen and Cothran both tallied a 16-over, 87 for the Lady Bears to round out play for Baylor.

"I think that today served as a good lesson," Ferdon said. "If we can just learn how to minimize our mistakes over the next couple of days, I think we'll be okay come the final round on Wednesday."

Baylor will begin the second round of the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge Tuesday morning with a 9 a.m. PST tee time.

BAYLOR INDIVIDUALS
T7) Lene Hafsten-Morch - 76
T21) Hannah Burke - 79
T54) Morgan Chambers - 83
T74) Chelsey Cothran - 87
T74) Jaclyn Jansen - 87

TEAM LEADERBOARD
1) Arizona State - 305
2) Southern California - 313
3) UCLA - 314
4) Wake Forest - 315
5) Michigan State - 316
6) California - 317
7) Ohio State - 318
8) Pepperdine - 319
9) Denver - 321
T10) Baylor - 325
T10) Florida - 325
12) East Carolina - 326
13) Stanford - 328
14) Notre Dame - 330
15) Texas A&M - 331
16) BYU - 336