JAY LEADS WOMEN’S GOLF IN OPENING ROUND OF CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

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ROUND 1 | PHOTO GALLERY | LIVE SCORING

NINETY SIX, S.C. – Olivia Jay is tied for 12^th and Radford is eighth following Sunday's opening round of the 2014 Big South Women's Golf Championship at the par 72, 6,083-yard The Patriot Golf Club.

"I am pleased with how we finished," head coach Jeff Beeler said about his team's resiliency. "We battled until the end and I like where we are heading into tomorrow's second round."

After going 4-over-par on her first four holes, Jay settled down and finished her remaining 14 holes at 1-under-par. The freshman had her short game working most of the day, salvaging par on numerous occasions thanks to her solid wedge game. Jay birdied the treacherous par-4 16^th after sticking a 5-iron to eight feet and draining the putt. She went on to par the final two holes to bring in a 3-over-par 75.

Hayley Hammond is tied for 16^th at 4-over-par 76. She was tearing down the flagstick early in her round, but the putter did not deliver a birdie until the par-5 18^th. Hammond recorded a team-best 13 pars during her opening 18.

In a tie for 28^th at 7-over-par 79 is Alexandra Austin. After lipping out her birdie chance from long range at the par-3 17^th, the junior knocked her approach shot to 10 feet at No. 18 and canned the birdie try to end her round on a high note.

Although Austin narrowly missed the birdie-birdie finish, Paige Reese was able to accomplish the feat. She dialed in a hybrid at No. 17, and then threw a dart with her sand wedge at the 18^th to two feet to close at 81, which is tied for 38^th. Kirsty Condon fired an 86 and is tied for 44^th.

Entering as the highest-ranked team in the field, No. 53 Campbell recorded a Big South championship record 10-under-par 278 to establish a commanding 19-shot lead. Three Camels ended their round in red figures, led by Louise Latorre's 4-under-par 68. Teammates Kaylin Yost and Lisbeth Brooks are tied for second on the individual leaderboard at 3-under-par 69. All five of Campbell's golfers are in the Top 10.

Defending champion Coastal Carolina is second after carding a 297, while High Point is third at 301. It is a logjam in the middle of the leaderboard as only five shots separate fourth place from eighth place. Gardner-Webb (306) holds fourth, followed by Presbyterian College (309), Charleston Southern and Winthrop (310).

The Highlanders opened with a 311, which is their second-best round this spring. Longwood rounds out the nine-team field at 316.

Radford and Longwood are paired with Winthrop for Monday's second round, which begins at 8:30 a.m. off the 10^th hole.

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