The First Nine

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – University of Arkansas senior Kristin Ingram is through the first nine holes in the second round of the 2010 Southeastern Conference Championship at NorthRiver Yacht Club in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday.

The Pasadena, Calif., native opened with an even-par 71 Friday and was plus-one through the first nine holes on the day Saturday. The No. 35 Razorbacks were in second place trailing No. 15 Georgia by two strokes through the first half of the day.

Here’s a quick look at Ingram’s first nine on Saturday.

She opened the day on the longest par five on the course with the hole playing 511 yards. Ingram hit her driver to the middle of the fairway leaving herself about 230 yards to the green.

Her second shot was just beyond a drain as the course elevation change nearly required oxygen. Ingram’s ball was well below the green and her blind shot up the hill sailed over the pin leaving her with a 20 foot downhill putt.

The ball slid by to the right but Ingram tapped in for par on the first hole.

Hole two is a par four, 380-yard wide open hole and Ingram went to the right side of the fairway with her tee shot. It left her 150 to the green with a right-side pin placement. Ingram’s second shot was about 15 feet left of the pin and she was the closest to the pin on the green.

Her first putt ran right on the rim and slipped past about a foot. She drained the par putt.

Hole three was a short, par three, 190-yarder and Ingram lined up right in the tee box with her first shot. She landed the ball to the right, just off the green.

That left her an uphill chip and she nailed it within a foot on the left side of the pin and sank the putt for par.

The par four, 351-yard hole four featured a 90 degree dogleg left and Ingram used a booming tee shot. Players had to stay out of the water on the left and try to cut off the angle on the right and Ingram’s tee shot was well placed.Her second look was a straight shot to the green and Ingram left herself about 25 feet to the hole. She hit a great putt but left the ball about a club head’s length from the cup. She tapped in for par.

The golf course continued to wind and bend with a challenging walk for players and spectators alike. The fifth hole was a 384-yard par four that looked long from the tee box.

Ingram went about 150 off the tee and joined her Georgia and Vanderbilt counterparts for the walk to the middle of the fairway. The trio talked about upcoming finals and summer plans on the walk.

Ingram hit her second shot to the right of the pin, pin high on a big green with the hole placed in the lower left corner. Her third shot again seemed to touch the edge of the cup before inching by and Ingram tapped in for her fifth consecutive par.

The shortest hole on the front nine is number six, a par three playing 165-yards and Ingram again had a birdied opportunity.

She sailed her tee shot over the water that cuts through the middle of the hole landing the ball to the right leaving herself a long downhill putt. Her first putt was on track but just short and Ingram tapped in for par.

Ingram gave up her only bogey on the front nine on the par four, 335-yard seventh hole. Another challenging hole with dramatic elevation changes, Ingram was good off the tee and with her second shot. Her first putt got her close but her second for par slid by about 18 inches. She made a good bogey on the hole.

Hole eight is a par four, 395-yard hole with a lot of room on the right side and bunkers in play on the left. Ingram was right down the middle of the fairway and put her second shot up on the green. She two-putted for par.

The front side of the golf course closes with a par five, 505-yard hole and Ingram was the longest off the tee.

Ingram had about 240 yards to the green and hit her second shot within 50 yards to just below the elevated green. She overshot her third shot launching the ball well beyond the hole but still on the green giving herself a tough putt.

She ran her first putt by the hole but sank a long 15-footer to save par.

The Razorbacks were three over on the day through the first nine holes. Kelli Shean and Victoria Vela were even while Tiffany Phelps was plus-two and Alex Schulte was plus-three.

There are nine holes remaining in the second round. Check back soon for more updates.