MORGANTON, NC – The South Carolina State women's golf team is in seventh place after the first 18 holes of the Mimosa Hills Invitational being played at the Par 72 - 5,810-yard Mimosa Hills Country Club. The final 18 holes of the two-day event – which is using a five-player scoring system -- will begin Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. with a shotgun start.

The SC State women (5 players) carded an 18-hole team total of 411 on a very difficult course that yielded on a few birdies and no scores under par. Western Carolina led the field after Monday's first round with an 18-hole team total of 387. One stroke back is host Appalachian State at 388. Rounding out the top five are Wofford with a 394, Presbyterian at 398 and Charleston Southern with a 400.

Western Carolina's Sofie Kvarnstrom was the first-day individual leader with a 1-over par 73.
Leading the way for Coach Sandy Burris' Lady Bulldog squad is sophomore Tiana Jones of Alliance, OH with a 6-over par 78 and a tie for 14th overall. She is followed by freshman Cherie Chua of Vancouver, Canada with an 8-over par 80. Trailing them were freshman Cheryl Chua, the twin of Cherie Chua, and junior Cabriel Duren of Oviedo, FL, both with 12-over par 84s, and Carmen Jones of Orangeburg, with an 85.

Despite an early rain downpour during the first six holes, Burris expressed disappointment her team's showing after 18 holes.

“It was a tough start with pouring rain during the first six holes,” Burris said. “But that's no excuse. We are a better team than what we scored. We will have to play better if we want to compete with teams like Appalachian State and Western Carolina.”
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