.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Mercedes Benz Championship
Toennessen and Newton Lead Rebels in First Day Action at Mercedes-Benz
9/20/2013 | Women's Golf
Sept. 20, 2013
TWITTER: @OleMissWGolf
FACEBOOK: OleMissWGolf
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - In her collegiate debut, freshman Maria Toennessen carded a 2-over par 73 to lead the Ole Miss women's golf team in first round action at the Mercedes-Benz Championship at Cherokee Country Club on Friday (Sept. 20). Sophomore Abby Newton also shot a 2-over par 73 in first day action.
"I really liked what I saw from the team this morning," said head coach Michele Drinkard. "We started off making birdies right away and were playing fearlessly by sticking to our process. We now need to believe that we can stay focused through all 18 holes. Our goals need to not change dependent on our success and we must learn to stay the course and continue our process in striving to hit greens and regulation and getting inside four feet with our short game.
Tomorrow is forecasted to have some rainy weather and I am looking forward to watching our team handle the conditions."
As a team, Ole Miss is sitting in 10th place with a 10-over 294. The Rebels are a stroke behind in-state rival, Mississippi State and two strokes ahead of Michigan out of the Big Ten. Juniors Stani Schiavone and Taelor Rubin each fired 3-over par 74, are tied for 44th place. Alison Hovatter recorded a 6-over 77 and is sitting in 71st place.
The Rebels posted 14 birdies on the day, including nine on the front nine which gave Ole Miss a great start. Newton and Rubin had solid games on the front nine, recording a combined five birdies, closing the front nine at 1-under 35. Newton opened the day with a birdie on the first hole and recoded just one bogey on the front nine.
"I started with a bogey which wasn't ideal," said Rubin. "But I shook it off and ended up being 1-under on the front. I didn't start the back nine as well as I wanted and my drive was a little off, but I went with it, even though it wasn't what I wanted today. I worked on my drive and tomorrow I'm going to trust my putting and go after it."
South Carolina leads the field with a 5-under 279, while UCF's Fanny Copp and South Carolina's Katelyn Dambaugh are tied for the individual lead at 3-under 68.
Competition continues through Sunday and fans can follow the live scoring at Golf Stat. Ole Miss will go out in the later wave for Saturday's round.
For all Ole Miss women's golf news and information, go to OleMissSports.com, and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWGolf and on Facebook at Ole Miss WGolf.
Team Standings (After Day 1)
1 | -5 | 279 | |||
2 | -2 | 282 | |||
3 | -1 | 283 | |||
4 | +1 | 285 | |||
5 | +2 | 286 | |||
6 | +6 | 290 | |||
T7 | +8 | 292 | |||
T7 | +8 | 292 | |||
9 | +9 | 293 | |||
10 | +10 | 294 | |||
11 | +12 | 296 | |||
T12 | +14 | 298 | |||
T12 | +14 | 298 | |||
T12 | +14 | 298 | |||
T15 | +15 | 299 | |||
T15 | +15 | 299 | |||
17 | +17 | 301 |
Ole Miss Individual Standings
T-33- Maria Toennessen, 73
T-33- Abby Newton, 73
T-44-Stani Schiavone, 74
T-44 Taelor Rubin, 74
T-71 Alison Hovatter, 77
Players Mentioned
