Gallagher Paces MSU To Share Of Third After First Round Of SEC

Friday, April 19

Birmingham, Ala. (Greystone CC)

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Mississippi State

SEC Championship

Gallagher Paces MSU To Share Of Third After First Round Of SEC

April 20, 2013 | Women's Golf

By: hailstate.com

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Junior Mary Langdon Gallagher fired a 3-over-par 75 in the opening round of the SEC Championship at Greystone Country Club to lead the Mississippi State women's golf team to an 18-over-par 306. The Lady Bulldogs own a share of third-place, just three strokes back of first.

Needing a strong finish to fortify its postseason resume, MSU notched its best SEC Tournament card since the second round of the 2010 championship.

No. 31 LSU is the current tourney leader at 15-over, while second-ranked Alabama owns the runner-up position. MSU shares its third-place sitting with No. 18 Georgia, No. 34 Kentucky and No. 40 South Carolina.

"We are playing a fantastic course at Greystone Golf Club," third-year coach Ginger Brown-Lemm. "The course is 64-hundred yards and wet. The greens are perfect, but fast with lots of movement. We did a great job hitting fairways and getting up and down, which is critical in these conditions. Our practice facility was instrumental in preparing us for just this challenge.

"Signs of growth for our squad is the fact that after our round, sitting anywhere from leading the tournament to fifth, every one of our team was sharing how they could have cut a few shots off their score today; that is how we are getting better. Taking responsibility for what went right, but what could be better too.

"We have worked so hard this year, but belief in the one shot mentality, the next shot is all that matters is the key. We have two more rounds of work, then we hope the NCAA Championship."

Gallagher's 75 garnered a share of seventh-place, only two strokes shy of the individual leaders Sarah Harris (Kentucky) and Stani Schiavone (Ole Miss).

The Greenwood native posted a stellar opening round for the second event in a row after opening the M&F Bank Rebel Intercollegiate with a 1-over-par 73 just two weeks ago. It is also her career-lowest SEC Tournament round.

The sophomore trio of No. 34 Ally McDonald, Rica Tse and Elena Warren each fired a 5-over-par 77 and are tied for 18th through the first 18 holes. McDonald posted a 1-over-par through the first nine but bogeyed three of her final five holes to fall out of a tie for first.

Tse posted 14 pars on the day to earn her place in the Top 25, while Warren negated a few bogeys with birdies on No. 3 and No. 16.

Freshman Gabi Oubre' capped the MSU scoreboard with a 9-over-par 81.

Second-round action will begin at 10 a.m. CST with the Lady Bulldogs slated to tee off alongside Kentucky and South Carolina at 10:50 a.m.

Live stats will be available through HailState.com. Fans can also follow the women's golf program on Twitter, @mstateWG, and on Facebook at facebook.com/mstateWG

SEC Championship
First Round – April 19, 2013

TEAM RESULTS
1. No. 31 LSU (303, +15); 2. No. 2 Alabama (304, +16); T3. Mississippi State (306, +18); T3. No. 18 Georgia (306, +18); T3. No. 34 Kentucky (306, +18); T3. No. 40 South Carolina (306, +18); 7. No. 8 Vanderbilt (309, +21); T8. No. 32 Tennessee (312, +23); T8. Missouri (311, +23); 10. No. 6 Arkansas (313, +25); 11. No. 7 Florida (315, +27); 12. Ole Miss (317, +29); 13. No. 24 Texas A&M (318, +30); 14. No. 43 Auburn (321, +33).

MSU INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
T7.       Mary Langdon Gallagher   75, +3
T18.     No. 34 Ally McDonald     77, +5
T18.     Rica Tse                                    77, +5
T18.     Elena Warren                  77, +5
T54.     Gabi Oubre'                   81, +9