Williams Leads Lady Vols on Day 1 of NCAA Women’s Golf Championships

Friday, May 17

Fayetteville, AR

All Day

University of Tennessee

NCAA Championship

Photo by: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

Williams Leads Lady Vols on Day 1 of NCAA Women’s Golf Championships

May 17, 2019 | Women's Golf

By: Zach Stipe

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Tennessee women's golf team will look to move up the leaderboard this weekend after opening the 2019 NCAA Women's Golf Championships in 24th-place following first round action on Friday at Blessings Golf Club.

Tennessee carded a 328 (+36) day one score on the challenging par-73, 6,397-yard course.

UT was +13 at the turn, but wasn't able to find as much success on the back nine.

On Saturday, the Lady Vols will begin second round action at 2:01 p.m. ET, teeing off from hole No. 10 alongside UCF and Indiana.

After three rounds of stroke play on Sunday, a cut will be made to the top 15 teams. Those 15 teams will play a fourth round. Following the fourth round, the top eight teams on the leaderboard will compete in match play.

The Lady Vols were led on day one by junior Micheala Williams, who carded a round-one 79 (+6). Williams is tied for 53rd.

Sophomore Waverly Whiston had a team-best three birdies and finished one stroke behind Williams with a day-one 80 (+7) to wrap up the day in a tie for 67th.

Senior Ariana Macioce carded an 84 (+11), while freshman Mikayla Bardwell rounded out the scoring for the Lady Vols with an 85 (+12).

Sophomore Mariah Smith finished with an 89 (+16).

Tennessee is competing in its 14th NCAA Women's Golf Championship overall and making its 12th appearance under head coach Judi Pavon.

The Lady Vols advanced to the quarterfinals of match play at the 2015 NCAA Championships.

Texas (+10) and Arkansas (+10) are tied for the team lead after the first round – two shots ahead of Stanford (+12) and Arizona (+12).

Coach's Take
On her thoughts on how Tennessee performed on Day 1 at the NCAA Championships:
"This course is very difficult and unlike anything we play at home. At the turn we were hanging in there, but didn't play hole 10 well and still had some tough holes coming in. It's hard to realize that being a few over par is going to be a decent round, and some of our players got down and let their rounds get away from them." – Head Coach Judi Pavon

One what the team needs to do to move up the leaderboard on Day 2:
"We need to try to stay confident tomorrow all through the round. The scores are high so it's possible to move up with a good day. We also need to eliminate big numbers. We had too many doubles and triples when we knew going in that avoiding those would be a key to playing well." – Head Coach Judi Pavon

Day One Scores:
Team
T1. Texas +10 (302)
T1. Arkansas +10 (302)
T3. Arizona +12 (304)
T3. Stanford +12 (305)
5. Duke +13 (305)
6. Southern California +14 (306)
7. Wake Forest +17 (309)
8. Arizona State +18 (310)
9. Washington +19 (311)
T10. Auburn +20 (312)
T10. Purdue +20 (312)
12. Northwestern +21 (313)
T13. Virginia +22 (314)
T13. Ole Miss +22 (314)
15. UCLA +23 (315)
16. Vanderbilt +27 (319)
17. Illinois +28 (320)
T18. Florida State +29 (321)
T18. Florida +29 (321)
T18. UCF +29 (321)
21. Indiana +30 (322)
22. San Jose State +32 (324)
23. Kent State +33 (325)
24. Tennessee +36 (328)

Tennessee Team
Micheala Williams     T53     79 (+6)
Waverly Whiston      T67     80 (+7)
Ariana Macioce         T106   84 (+11)
Mikayla Bardwell      T112   85 (+12)
Mariah Smith           T126   89 (+16)