Lewis Lady'Backs lead after first round of SEC Championship

Jump to results LOUDON, Tenn. – University of Arkansas senior Stacy Lewis carded a three-under 69 and leads after first round action at the 2008 Southeastern Conference Championship in Loudon, Tenn., Friday. Lewis paced ninth-ranked Arkansas to a tie with fifth-ranked Florida for the tournament lead with a first-day 297 on the par 72, 6,293-yard Tennessee National Golf Course. “I’m very happy with the round,” said Lewis. “We played the first six holes without much wind but it really turned on the sixth hole. It was brutal. It’s a hard golf course but I like it. You really have to pick your spots and hit them. You can’t make mistakes.” Lewis and the Lady’Backs battled swirling winds and rising temperatures changing the golf course dramatically from Thursday’s practice rounds. Despite the tough conditions, junior Lucy Nunn stepped up with a 73 while Alex Schutle added a 76. Nunn is tied for sixth overall while Schulte is tied for 18. Sophomore Kristin Ingram posted a 79 and is tied for 35 and freshman Kelli Shean is tied for 57th with a first round 87. “I’m really pleased,” said Arkansas head coach Shauna Estes-Taylor. “We executed our game plan and finished strong. That’s something we’ve really focused for several weeks and I was pleased with how we executed. I’ve always told the team they can’t win a tournament in the first day but we’ve put ourselves in a good position for the second and third rounds.” Arkansas started its day on the back nine playing to a plus nine as a team but made the turn and turned it on finishing just plus-two through the final holes of the day. Lewis’ round was solid as The Woodlands, Texas, native played the back nine two-under with a turkey, three consecutive birdies, on 13, 14 and 15. Lewis also had birdies on seven and eight and just missed another on her final hole when her putt slid past. Nunn, a Lawton, Okla., native also played well. She recovered from a double on 13, her fourth hole of the day, and played the front nine even. “Lucy has really been working hard these last couple of weeks,” said Estes-Taylor. “It was great to see her scores reflect that. We’ve been working on getting Lucy to slow down and she’s really been committed to that process. You could see that today.” Arkansas is tied with fifth-ranked Florida on top of the leaderboard. Eighth-ranked Georgia and No. 32 South Carolina are tied for third with 300, followed by No. 7 Alabama with 307, No. 26 Vanderbilt with 308, Ole Miss with 309, No. 19 LSU and No. 10 Auburn are tied for eight with 310 and No. 16 and host Tennessee is 10th with 316. Mississippi State posted a 319 while Kentucky rounds out the team scores with a 326 after the first round. For more information regarding Razorback women’s golf or University of Arkansas athletics please visit www.LADYBACKS.com.