Rick Morgan

Uriell Leads After First Round

ORLANDO, Fla. – The 10th-ranked University of Arkansas women’s golf team opened the 2016-17 season with a first round 283 at the invitation-only ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday.

The Razorbacks were 5-under for the day and trail the leader by nine shots. Arkansas is just five strokes out of second place in a tight race after one round.

Junior Alana Uriell leads Arkansas and is in the clubhouse with a 4-under 68. She is tied for sixth place overall. All-American Maria Fassi is tied for 22nd with a one-under 71, followed by newcomer Kaylee Benton and Cara Gorlei who are tied for 28th with even-par 72s. Senior Jordy LaBarbera rounds out the Razorback scoring with a 75 and is tied for 50th overall.

Uriell began her round on the 10th hole at the Watson Course at Reunion Country Club, opening with back-to-back birdies to start the day. She added two more on holes 14 and 15 and sprinkled in a pair of bogeys turning 2-under in the first nine.

Uriell rallied with a birdie on her ninth hole of the day and would add two more and one bogey wrapping up her round with a 4-under 68. She is four strokes behind the leader after the first day of play.

Fassi, a Hildalgo, Mexico, native also played the first nine well with birdies on Nos. 15, 16 and 17. She moved to 5-under after the turn with birdies on No. 1 and No. 3 but battled down the stretch giving four strokes back before finishing her day.

South Carolina leads the field shooting a 14-under 274. Georgia is second with a 278, followed by Southern California and UCLA in a tie for third at 279. The rest of the field includes Florida with 282, Arkansas and Arizona State with 283, Oklahoma State in eighth with 286, Virginia is ninth with 287, Arizona and UCF are tied for 10th with 288 and Duke rounds out the field in 12th place with 293.

Play continues Monday and Tuesday. For more information follow Arkansas women’s golf on Twitter at @RazorbackWGolf.

FROM SHAUNA ESTES-TAYLOR
We got out to a pretty solid start through about 12 holes and gave a few back coming in. Overall for the first round of the season I feel very good about this group. I know they are prepared. We worked really hard the first three weeks of school and everyone’s game is in a good place. I’m really proud of Alana’s 4-under. It was a group effort. We have to go out and play really good golf and they are very capable of that. It’s more of a mind game because their games are in a really strong place right now. It’s a fun group to be around and they represent our team and our university in the best ways.

PLACETEAMSCORETO PAR
1South Carolina274-14
2Georgia278-10
T3Southern California279-9
T3UCLA279-9
5Florida282-6
T6ARKANSAS283-5
T6Arizona State283-5
8Oklahoma State286-2
9Virginia287-1
T10Arizona288E
T10UCF288E
12Duke2935
PLACEPLAYERSCORETO PAR
T6Arkansas283-5
T6Alana Uriell (1)68-4
T22Maria Fassi (2)71-1
T28Kaylee Benton (3)72-1
T28Cara Gorlei (5)72E
T50Jordy LaBarbera (4)753