Women's Golf | 9/12/2021 4:16:00 PM

MONTGOMERY, Ala.  The No. 1-ranked (WGCA) Methodist women's golf team kicked off its national championship title defense Sunday at the Montgomery Country Club (MCC) Intercollegiate, closing out the first day of the two-day event in fourth place with a 10-over par 298.

Nearly half of the top 15 teams from the preseason Golfstat.com Division III rankings are participating in the event, with Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) University – No. 2 on the Golfstat listing – leading the way at the MCC with a 2-under par 286, one stroke ahead of Emory University (No. 7 in Golfstat).

JUST THE FACTS
Event: MCC Women's Intercollegiate
Host: Huntingdon College
Course: Montgomery Country Club (Par 72, 5,632 yards)
Top teams: T-1 – Carnegie Mellon 287 (1-under), T-1 – Emory 287 (1-under), 3 – Centre (Ky.) College 297 (+9)
Top individuals: 1 – Irene Wang, Emory (34-33—67, 5-under), 2 – Nicole Nesbitt, Sewanee (36-33—69, -3), Two individual tied for 3rd at 70 (-2)

OPENING ROUND

• Methodist's five golfers began their rounds at hole No. 1.
• The low Monarch of the day was sophomore Maggie Williams, who posted a 1-over 73 (37-36) and sits in a tie for ninth place on the individual leaderboard. Williams rang up 12 consecutive pars to begin her day, giving up one shot on par-4 13th before closing with five more pars.
• Freshman Ava Lucas was the only Methodist golfer to make the turn at under par, carding three birdies against two bogeys to finish the front nine at 1 under. The back nine was not quite as solid as she picked up a stroke on the 10th, 11th, 12th and 18th in finishing at a 4-over 73 (36-39) and tied for 19th.
• All-American Ingrid Steingrimsen crossed the turn at 1 over after collecting three birdies and four birdies. The sophomore was quite consistent over the back half, parring Nos. 10-15 as well has Nos. 17 and 18, while only adding one stroke on the par-4 16th. Steingrimsen is tied for 14th overall.
• Senior All-American and 2021 WGCA D-III Golfer of the Year Jillian Drinkard struggled at the start, bogeying the opening two holes, but bounced back with birdies on Nos. 3 and 7, only to find two extra strokes on the par-4 8th. Though she did card bogeys on Nos. 10 and 18, in between she rolled in seven straight pars. Drinkard's 4-over 76 (39-37) is tied for 23rd.
• Also making her first collegiate appearance for the Monarchs was freshman Emily Gresham, who had a literal and figurative up and down round. Gresham notched four birdies on the day, but also picked up five bogeys and three doubles to finish Round 1 tied for 38th place with a 7-over 79.

COURSE NUMBERS

• Along with No. 1 Methodist, No. 2 CMU and No. 7 Emory, other ranked teams at the MCC are No. 6 Centre, No. 8 Washington and Lee, No. 10 Mary Hardin-Baylor, No. 13 Rhodes and No. 14 Berry.
• Methodist played the par 3s at a Day 1-best +2 (3.10 average). Gresham had the best results on the par 3s for the Monarchs, ending her round on them at 1-under (2.75).
• The Monarchs were also the clubhouse leader in total number of pars, 53, one more than leader CMU.
• Williams was sixth best on the par 4s during the round, closing out at 1 over (4.10).

NEXT UP
Action at the MCC resumes Monday morning with the final round.