Florida Gators
Bryan National Collegiate
Women's Golf Charges To 36-Hole Lead At Bryan National Collegiate
Saturday, April 7, 2007 | Women's Golf
The 12th-ranked University of Florida women's golf team posted a six-over 294, the lowest second-round score in the field by seven strokes, on Saturday to overtake four teams and move into first place at the Bryan National Collegiate after 36 holes of competition. After 36 holes, the Lady Gators stand at the top of what has essentially become a three-team race for the tournament crown with a total of 592 (+16), holding a one-stroke edge over both second-ranked Duke and No. 15 Purdue.
“We looked at today's round as an opportunity to go out and have some fun,” Florida head coach Jill Briles-Hinton said. “Conditions were tough, but we went out there determined to stay focused and not get down on ourselves. We stayed in the process all day, and when we totaled up the scores, it just so happened that we found ourselves in the lead. This was a great day for us, and the girls are excited about it.”
Junior Whitney Myers (East Berlin, Pa.) led UF's charge up the leader board with a run of her own, firing a two-under 70 on Saturday to move from a tie for 29th into a share of third place. She got off to a lightning-quick start after beginning her round on the fifth hole, as she birdied four of her first five to catapult into the individual lead. She made par on 12 of her other 13 holes on the afternoon, with the only blemish to her card coming via a double-bogey on the fourth hole. Myers' performance was the lowest individual round of the day and nearly equaled a career best, narrowly missing the mark of 69 that she has hit on two occasions during her collegiate tenure; she also improved on her first-round showing by five strokes. Myers' total of 145 (+1) will send her into the final round just one shot behind Duke's Amanda Blumenherst and Purdue's Maria Hernandez in the chase for the individual medal.
“Whitney took care of Whitney today, and that's what she really needs to do in order to play her best,” Briles-Hinton said. “She played an exceptional round of golf today, and it came when the conditions were up against the players. She's capable of consistently shooting that type of score, and I was extremely glad to see that our of her today because she really sparked our team.”
Steady golf was the theme of the day for Florida junior Sandra Gal (Leichlingen, Germany), as she made par on 14 holes during the second round en route to a two-over 74. Like her classmate Myers, Gal will open play on Sunday among the top-10 individuals at the Bryan National, as her 36-hole total of 146 (+2) has her positioned in a fifth-place tie heading into the final round. A third Lady Gator junior, Tiffany Chudy (Miramar, Fla.), is on the cusp of reaching the top-10 at the conclusion of two rounds, looming in a tie for 11th after turning in a three-over 75 on Saturday. Chudy owns a total of 149 (+5) through the tournament's first 36 holes.
Sophomore Mallory Blackwelder (Versailles, Ky.) birdied three holes on Saturday to post a three-over 75 and make a three-shot improvement over her first-round score. She nearly cut her distance from the leaders in half with the second-round effort, moving from a 51st-place tie to a deadlock for 26th. Redshirt sophomore Ornella Jouven (La Ciotat, France) will begin play tomorrow in a tie for 57th after carding an 81 (+9) on Saturday.
“It's going to take four really scores to get the job done tomorrow, but we are capable of doing that if we stay focused,” Briles-Hinton said. “The girls know what they need to do, and they have a strong desire to win this tournament. Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day, and I know that we'll compete hard the entire round.”
When the final 18 holes begin on Sunday at 11 a.m. EST, the Lady Gators will hold a one-shot advantage over both Duke and Purdue, while the UF has distanced itself from fourth place by eight strokes. Scoring will be done live on the Internet at www.golfstat.com, and can also be accessed at www.gatorzone.com.
Team Standings Through Round Two
| Place | School | Score |
| 1. | FLORIDA | 298-294 = 592 (+16) |
| T2. | Duke | 292-301 = 593 (+17) |
| T2. | Purdue | 290-303 = 593 (+17) |
| 4. | North Carolina | 291-309 = 600 (+24) |
| 5. | South Carolina | 297-310 = 607 (+31) |
| 6. | Georgia | 303-310 = 613 (+37) |
| 7. | Auburn | 301-315 = 616 (+40) |
| 8. | Tennessee | 305-312 = 617 (+41) |
| T9. | Virginia | 300-319 = 619 (+43) |
| T9. | Ohio State | 307-312 = 619 (+43) |
| 11. | Wake Forest | 309-312 = 621 (+45) |
| T12. | Furman | 308-316 = 624 (+48) |
| T12. | Florida State | 309-315 = 624 (+48) |
| 14. | LSU | 311-314 = 625 (+49) |
| 15. | UNC-Wilmington | 306-320 = 626 (+50) |
| 16. | UNC-Greensboro | 316-315 = 631 (+55) |
| 17. | North Carolina State | 314-318 = 632 (+56) |
| 18. | College of Charleston | 312-333 = 645 (+69) |
Individual Top-10 Through Round Two
| Place | Player | Score |
| T1. | Amanda Blumenherst (Duke) | 73-71 = 144 (E) |
| T1. | Maria Hernandez (Purdue) | 71-73 = 144 (E) |
| T3. | Stefanie Endstrasser (Purdue) | 70-75 = 145 (+1) |
| T3. | WHITNEY MYERS (FLORIDA) | 75-70 = 145 (+1) |
| T5. | SANDRA GAL (FLORIDA) | 72-74 = 146 (+2) |
| T5. | Blair Lamb (Furman) | 70-76 = 146 (+2) |
| T5. | Jenna Pearson (South Carolina) | 68-78 = 146 (+2) |
| T5. | Carolina Westrup (Florida State) | 72-74 = 146 (+2) |
| T9. | Anna Grzebien (Duke) | 74-73 = 147 (+3) |
| T9. | Leah Wigger (Virginia) | 71-76 = 147 (+3) |
Florida Results Through Round Two
| Place | Player | Score |
| T3. | Whitney Myers | 75-70 = 145 (+1) |
| T5. | Sandra Gal | 72-74 = 146 (+2) |
| T11. | Tiffany Chudy | 74-75 = 149 (+5) |
| T26. | Mallory Blackwelder | 78-75 = 153 (+9) |
| T57. | Ornella Jouven | 77-81 = 158 (+14) |
-UF-
