CLEMSON, S.C. – The Clemson women’s golf team wrapped up 36 holes of continuous play on Thursday, finishing the opening day of the ACC Women’s Golf Championship in seventh place. The Tigers will play the final round of stroke play beginning Friday morning at the Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. with the top four teams advancing to the match-play portion of the tournament being held on Saturday and Sunday.
As a team, the Tigers recorded scores of 293 and 304 to finish the day at 21-over-par and in the seventh position. Despite Duke leading the field throughout the day, No. 3 Wake Forest overtook the Blue Devils in the latter half of the afternoon to sit in first place at 11-under-par, two shots better than No. 2 Duke. The fifth-ranked Florida State squad holds on to the third position at one-over-par as No. 15 Virginia Tech is in fourth at seven-over.
Sophomore Savannah Grewal led the Tigers through the first two rounds of the tournament, recording Clemson’s only round under-par with a two-under 70 in the opening 18 holes of competition. Grewal played the first 11 holes of her day at two-under before her bogey-free round was snapped on the third hole. She went on to play the remaining six holes of the front nine at one-under-par to place her in a tie for fifth heading into the second round. The Mississauga, Ontario native, who is competing in her first ACC Championship, closed out the day with a second round 76 to finish T18.
The most veteran competitor for the Tigers this season, Ivy Shepherd finished the day two shots back of Grewal and T23 after recording rounds of 72 and 76, respectively. The junior got off to a quick start in the opening round, going four-under-par through her first seven holes. Her remaining holes would be played at four-over after a bogey on 17 and double bogeys on both the first and fourth holes. Shepherd finished the first 36 holes of competition with a field-leading two-under-par mark of par threes with a 2.75 average.
Callista Rice, Clemson’s only senior and first-time competitor in the ACC Championship, had the team’s third-best performance on the first day of the event. Following 36 holes the Mars Hill, N.C. native sits T33 after rounds of 74 and 77, bringing her to seven-over total.
Close behind Rice was freshman Annabelle Pancake who sits just one shot back of the senior at eight-over and in 38th place. In her first rounds of postseason competition, Pancake recorded the Tigers’ only eagle of the day on the 486-yard, par-five 18th hole. Alexandra Swayne is T49 after going 13-over-par between the first and second rounds.
Clemson will tee off the final round of stroke play tomorrow beginning at 9:50 a.m. off of the tenth hole with tee times going every 10 minutes. Live scoring of the event can be accessed via Golfstat.
