April 24, 2012
Gulf Shores, Alabama - The Tulsa women golfers carded a three-over par 291 in second round action Tuesday to remain in first place at the 2012 Conference USA Women's Golf Championship. Senior Marita Engzelius also moved into first-place in the individual race after her even-par rounds of 72 today.
With a 36-hole total of 590 at the par-72 Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club, Tulsa holds a seven-stroke lead over Tulane (597). UCF (599), East Carolina (621) and SMU (624) round out the top-5 teams.
As a team, the Hurricane has all five golfers among the top-13 golfers.
Tulsa's Engzelius is the only golfer in the tournament field with an under-par score as she has totaled a one-under par 143 after the first two days. Engzelius turned in two birdies and two bogeys for her even-par round today and holds a two-stroke lead over Tulane's Maribel Porras-Lopez heading into Wednesday's final 18 holes.
Junior Kristina Merkle cared a one-over par round of 73 and has a five-over par 149 total to tie for sixth place. Merkle went three-over par on the front nine, but came back with a two-under par score on her final nine holes of the day, as she knocked in birdie putts on holes 10, 11, 13 and 17.
Tulsa has three golfers -- Sarah Elliott and Kamryn Ruffin and freshman Anna Young -- tied for 13th place with scores of eight-over par 152 Young tied Engzelius for the best round of the day for a Hurricane golfer with an even-par 72, while Elliott turned in a round of 74 and Ruffin scored 78 for today's round.
Young had three birdies on the day with one bogey and two double bogeys, while Elliot made up some lost ground on her final two holes with birdies on 17 and 18 to finish the day at two-over par.
Tulsa's first tee time is 8:20 am for the final round on Wednesday.
Team Results
1. Tulsa 299-291=590
2. Tulane 301-296=597
3. UCF 306-293=599
4. East Carolina 319-302=621
5. SMU 313-311=624
6. Memphis 310-316=626
7. UTEP 319-314=633
8. Marshall 321-313=634
9. UAB 321-315=636
10. Southern Miss 347-322=669
Tulsa Individuals
1. Marita Engzelius 71-72=143 (-1)
T6. Kristina Merkle 76-73=149 (+5)
T13. Kamryn Ruffin 74-78=152 (+8)
T13. Sarah Elliot 78-74=152 (+8)
T13. Anna Young 80-72=152 (+8)
Top-5 Individuals
1. Marita Engzelius, Tulsa 71-72=143 (-1)
2. Maribel Porras-Lopez, Tulane 73-72=145 (+1)
3. Caitlin Watts, UAB 70-76=146 (+2)
T4. Felicia Espericueta, SMU 74-73=147 (+3)
T4. Katie Mitchell, UCF 75-72=147 (+3)
In eight years as a member of Conference USA, Tulsa athletic teams have won a league-best 48 conference championships.
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Since the opening of the Donald W. Reynolds Center in 1998, Tulsa’s athletic facilities have undergone a major facelift. New facilities include the Michael D. Case Tennis Center, the Collins Family Softball Complex, the Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium, the J. Bird Sr. Shell Nest, the Jack Zink Indoor Rowing Center, the Case Athletic Complex and major renovation to H.A. Chapman Stadium.
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