Pinehurst, N.C.- Western Michigan golf closed out the opening round and opening day of competition at the Ross Resorts Invitational in sixth place and held on throughout to close out the fall portion of its 2008-08 season. Britney Hamilton recorded her second top-10 finish of the year and fifth of her career, finishing alone in seventh place.
Hamilton opened with a 2-over par 75 to close out the first round on Monday morning in a tie for second place with Yale's Cassie Boles. Hamilton took a five-stroke step back in the second (afternoon) round on Monday to finish the first day in a four-way tie for seventh place with Marissa Steen (Memphis), Taylor Collins (Nova Southeastern) and teammate Elise Swartout.
Swartout, who also lost ground after the first round finished day one with a 7-over par round of 79 after carding a 4-over par round of 76 to finish the first 18 holes in a tie for fourth with Illinois State's Stacey Miller. Hamilton and Swartout managed top-15 finishes with Hamilton carding a 5-over par 77 to finish at 232 (+16), six shots off her career low 54-hole total of 226 set in the season opener at the Nittany Lions Invitational.
Katrina Templar posted her best finish of her freshman season, finishing in a tie for 37th after carding rounds of 84-83-83. Leah Grawburg finished one stroke behind her classmate in a four-way tie for 40th. Grawburg led the field in par-3 scoring at just over par (3.08), while Hamilton registered the tournaments only eagle.
Western Michigan recorded team rounds of 321-321-323 en route to a 965 total and a sixth-place finish. The Broncos shaved 10 strokes off their total score from a year ago, finishing five spots ahead of where they did in 2007.
WMU will head back to the practice range for the winter months in preparation for its spring schedule. It begins on Feb. 28-March 1 at the Red Rocks Invitational in Sedona, Ariz. The event is the first leg of the Broncos' annual "desert swing" as Western Michigan will then host the seventh annual Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational in Rio Verde, Ariz. from March-6-8.
WMU Individual Results
7th, Britney Hamilton, 75-80-77=232 (+16)
T-11th, Elise Swartout, 76-79-80=235 (+19)
T-37th, Katrina Templar, 84-83-83=250 (+34)
T-40th, Leah Grawburg, 86-82-83=251 (+35)
46th, Stephanie Koske, 87-80-89=256 (+40)
