STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. – Appalachian State is 10th in a tight field of 15 teams after the opening round of the 24th Annual John Kirk Panther Intercollegiate, which opened Sunday at Eagles Landing Golf Club.
App State fired a team 311 (+23) and leads Western Michigan and Western Carolina (+27) both by four strokes. App trails UAB (+22) by one and Sun Belt foe Georgia State (+21) by two. Murrary State (293, +5) holds a one shot lead over Eastern Kentucky (+6) for the team lead. EKU's Elsa Moberly fired a 68 (-4) and holds a three shot lead.
Seniors Hannah Craver (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and Emily Stinson (Charlotte, N.C.) are both tied for 22nd. Craver had a Top 10 finish at Hilton Head last week, and followed with a 76 (+4) today. She had five birdies – four in her last seven holes – but also had three double bogeys. Stinson had four birdies in her round, including one on each of the final two holes to finish strong.
Sophomore Jo Elias (Jamestown, N.C.) pieced together a 79 (+7) and is tied for 48th with one birdie in her round.
Freshman Melany Chong (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) is tied for 56th after an 81 (+9), while junior Savanna Wood (Boone, N.C.) finished with an 86 (+14).
App's Patricia Thompson (Granite Falls, N.C.) shot an 85 as an individual.
Monday's second round begins at 9 a.m.
-App State-
