KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. -- Senior Bari Erais (Lethbridge, Alberta/Lethridge Collegiate Institute) shot a first-round 79 and is tied for 64th to pace the Bradley women's golf team during day one of the Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic on the par-72 Oak Point Golf Course at the Oak Point Golf Club Sunday. The Braves finished the first day of play in 40th place among 43 teams in a field which features 21 squads ranked in the top 100.
Erais was the only Bradley player to shoot in the 70's, carding an opening round 79 and begins Monday's second round in a tie for 64th. She is nine shots behind individual leader and is tied with Illinois State's Laura Harris and Marisa Milligan for the best round by a Missouri Valley Conference player in the field. The Braves and Redbirds are joined in the field by MVC foes Southern Illinois and Missouri State.
Sophomore Breanne Neufeld (Coaldale, Alberta/Coaldale) is seven shots behind Erais in a tie for 161st after shooting an opening round 86 and freshman Kelly Amundrud (Calgary, Alberta/Strathcona Tweedsmuir) is one shot beck of Neufeld at 87 and is tied for 167th. Freshman Erin Gorman (Rockford, Ill./Boylan) shot a 92 Sunday to finish the day tied for 206th, while sophomore Caitlin Deeken (California, Mo./California) rounded out play for Bradley with a 94 and is alone in 209th place.
The tournament is the largest in NCAA women's golf history and features 21 teams ranked in the top 100 according to Golfweek, and 27 of the top 110. Miami (Fla.), which is ranked 87th, and 69th-ranked East Tennessee State are tied for the team lead after the opening round at 300. The Braves are 40th overall at 344 and trail Missouri Valley Conference rival Southern Illinois by three shots. Bradley is 10 shots back of a three-way tie for 35th, which includes MVC foe Missouri State and the Braves hold a three-shot lead on Wofford College, which is 41st overall at 347.
The Braves will begin second round play Monday at 9:30 a.m. (EST) on the Cougar Point Course. Live stats for the Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic are available at www.golfstat.com
