April 10, 2006

Results

For Immediate Release
Contact: Brandon Kolditz
wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - All five members of the University of Memphis women's golf team finished the first two rounds of the Lady Eagle Invitational in the top 17 as the Lady Tigers took a commanding opening day lead on Monday.

Memphis, which has not won a tournament since 2002, matched a program team 18-hole record with a 292 in the opening round and followed with a 296. The Lady Tigers 36-hole 588 is 14 strokes better than second place Middle Tennessee State and 18 strokes lower than third place South Alabama in the 11-team field. The 36-hole total ranks as the program's second lowest total ever with the record of 581 shot by the 1997 squad at the Lady Tar Heel.

Last year's Lady Eagle Invitational medalist Stacey Tate leads the tournament with a 1-under 141. Tate shot par in the first 18 holes of the par 71, 6,109 yard course at the Shadow Ridge Golf Club and then followed with a 1-under performance in the second round. The junior from New Zealand has a four-stroke lead over second place UAB's Christina Wentworth. Tate has medaled in two of her last three tournaments and has finished in the top 4 in three-straight competitions.

Sophomore transfer Dawn-Marie Conaty carded the Lady Tiger's second-lowest score in the first day with a five-over 147 and is in a tie for fourth. The Ireland native is on pace to shatter her previous career 56-hole low of 236. Conaty needs to shoot better than an 89 in the final round to set a new low.

Also attempting to set a career 56-hole low is senior Bernie Rosero who is one of three Lady Tigers in the top six. Rosero shot a career low 2-over 73 in the opening round and followed with a 4-over 75 to total 148 on the day. The Ecuador native also needs to card a score of 88 or better to set a new career three-round low.

Junior Kathryn O'Rourke is fourth on the team and tied for 14th overall. The New York native is playing in her first spring tournament of the season, filling in for freshman Kayla Stewart who is missing the tournament due to a neck injury. O'Rourke had rounds of 75 and 77 to total a 152 on Monday.

The Lady Tigers No. 5 golfer on the day, freshman Rachel Larson, is tied for 17th individually. Larson shot rounds of 75 and 78 for a 153 36-hole total. The Longmont, Colo., native needs a 78 or better in the final round to set a career low.

Memphis will compete in the final round of the tournament on Tuesday. The tournament will resume with a 7:30 a.m. shotgun start.

Southern Miss Lady Eagle Invitational
Dates: 04/10-04/11, 2006
Round: 2
Par-Yardage: 71-6109

1    Memphis, Univ. of  292  296  588
1    Stacey Tate        71   70   141
T4   Dawn-Marie Conaty  73   74   147
6    Bernie Rosero      73   75   148
T14  Kathryn O'Rourke   75   77   152
T17  Rachel Larson      75   78   153