C.A. Carter, a sophomore from Lexington, Kentucky, led the University of Kentucky women’s golf team on May 11 after the first round of the NCAA Tallahassee Regional at Seminole Legacy Golf Club in Florida.
Carter posted a score of 1-under-par 71, placing her in a tie for 12th out of 67 competitors and helping her team to a combined score of 3-over-par 291. The Wildcats finished the day tied for seventh place and are four shots away from reaching the top five teams. The leading team after the first round is Florida at five under par.
The top five teams at the end of this three-day event will advance to the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, scheduled for May 22-27.
Carter began her round with a bogey but responded with back-to-back birdies on holes eleven and twelve. She continued with eight consecutive pars before recording another bogey on hole three and then offsetting it with a birdie on hole six. This performance marked Carter’s sixth under-par round this season and put her three shots behind individual leader Janae Leovao of Eastern Michigan.
Raleygh Simpson also contributed to Kentucky’s effort by shooting a one-over-par 73, tying for twenty-second place. Simpson started strong with an early birdie followed by an eagle on hole eleven thanks to a long putt that drew applause from spectators. Cathryn Brown matched Simpson’s score despite starting slowly; she finished well by making three birdies in her last five holes.
Samantha Paradise shot two over par while Karlie Campbell ended at three over par but tied for most pars among teammates during the round. The Wildcats will continue their efforts as they seek to secure one of the qualifying spots for nationals.
