May 10, 2012

COLUMBUS, Ohio –  Haley Sanders fired a 2-over 74 to lead the Ole Miss women’s golf team on the opening day of the NCAA Central Regional  

The Rebels shot a 315 on Thursday and are currently in a tie for 15th place.

No. 1 Southern Cal grabbed the early lead, shooting a 298.  The Trojans hold a one-stroke lead on No. 9 Georgia.  

The top eight teams and the top two individuals not from those teams will advance to the NCAA Championships May 22-25 at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Nashville.  The Rebels are currently seven shots out of the eighth-place spot.  

For Sanders, it was an outstanding beginning to regional play, as the junior sits in 12th place at the end of the first round.  Sanders was excellent in a bogey-free back-nine, converting a birdie attempt to card a 74 for the day.  She trails leader Maurina Alex of Vanderbilt by four strokes.

“Haley Sanders started off a bit shaky with her driver but recovered and played solid,” said Ole Miss head coach Michele Drinkard.  “She hit 14 greens and had a lot of opportunities today. Look for her to continue her solid play tomorrow.”

Senior Haley Millsap and junior Ericka Schneider each recorded an 80 for the day, while freshman Taelor Rubin shot an 81.

“Now we need the rest of the team to get off to a better start and compete right from the first tee shot,” said Drinkard.  “We can and we know we can, so now it's just a matter of getting it done.”

You can follow along with live stats at www.OleMissSports.com.  You can also follow the Rebels on twitter at @OleMissWGolf and on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/OleMissWGolf.

TEAM STANDINGS
1     Southern Cal  298
2     Georgia  299
3     Purdue  301
4     Notre Dame  304
T5     Tennessee  306
T5     Auburn  306
7     North Carolina State  307
T8     Oregon  308
T8     Virginia  308
T8     Vanderbilt  308
11     South Florida  309
T12     Ohio State  310
T12     Arkansas  310
14     Florida State  314
T15     Ole Miss  315
T15     Harvard  315
T15     Michigan  315
18     UTSA  317
19     Texas State  320
20     Butler  321
21     Kentucky  322
22     UNC Wilmington  323
23     Siena College  328
24     East Carolina  329
OLE MISS INDIVIDUALS
T12     Haley Sanders  74
T68     Ericka Schneider  80
T68     Haley Millsap  80
T78     Taelor Rubin  81
T107     Natalie Gleadall  84