Sam Houston State women’s golf team ended the first round of the Southland Conference championship in fifth place at the Stonebridge Ranch Country Club in McKinney.
Senior Alisa White leads the Bearkats with a share for fifth place in the individual leaderboards.
White tied for fifth place with five other players from Stephen F. Austin State, Central Arkansas and Lamar. White ended the first round with a 77.
UCA’s Brenda Gonzalez leads the individual leaderboards after firing an even-par 72 to open the tournament. Her teammate Malin Senneryd is a stroke back to help hold a lead for UCA in the team leaderboard.
The next closest Bearkat was freshman Sarah Black who is tied for 14th place with six other girls. Black shot a 79, setting the teammates only two strokes away from one another.
Sophomores Celeste Lo and Paige Nelson both ended tied for 22nd after shooting an 80 in the opening round. Nelson led all Kats last year after finishing in a tie for third at the SLC Championship.
She shot a 71 in last year’s first round before shooting an 80 and 73 in the latter two rounds.
Junior Nicole Budnik sits in 36th place after the first round of the tournament after shooting an 84.
Due to rain, the tournament was delayed three hours.
The Kats will head into the second round of the tournament today looking to crawl out of fifth place and up the leaderboard before finishing the tournament with the third round tomorrow.