Clemson, S.C.— Lindsay May shot a two-over par 74 to lead Clemson to a 15-over par 303 team score in the opening round of the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invite at the UNC Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, South Carolina. Clemson stands in 16th place in the 18 team field, but is just 15 shots out of fourth after the first of three rounds on the par 72 course.
Duke has the team lead at 17-under par 271 and they are led by Jaravee Boonchant, the individual leader who shot an impressive six-under par 66. The tournament is one of the top national fields in the country this fall and features eight of the top-30 teams in the nation according to the latest Golfweek rankings.
“It was really a struggle today,” said head coach Kelley Hester. “Everyone had trouble with their putting and we never were comfortable and were not able to find our groove. We will have to fight and claw our way back up the leaderboard after a difficult start.”
May is the top Tiger with her two-over par 74. She had 16 pars and two bogeys on the 6,379 yard course. The Clemson freshman is playing in her second tournament, her first in the No. 1 position. Friday’s round tied her season and career lowest round.
Ana Paula Valdes and Ivy Shepherd both had rounds of 76. Valdes finished the round with two birdies while Shepherd had one. Senior Alice Hewson had a five-over par 77 in her 100th round, becoming only the third in program history to reach the milestone. Her score has counted towards the team score in 99 of her 100 rounds.
Freshman Alexandra Swayne had an eight-over par 80 in her sixth round of the year. She was seven over for her first 11 holes, then played her final seven in just one over par.
Play continues on Saturday morning. Live scoring is available at golfstat.com.
