RIO VERDE, Ariz. - The Western Michigan golf team grinded through day one of the 2011 Rio Verde Invitational and is eighth heading into Saturday's second round. Eastern Michigan has a six stroke lead in the team standings after day one. WMU's Britney Hamilton carded a team best 2-over par 74 and is tied for eighth. EMU's Darby Peters and Michigan's Yugene Lee share the lead at 2-under par.
It was an up and down day for the Broncos, who found themselves drop to 16th before making a charge to finish alone in eighth place. Hamilton birdied the final hole to finish with three on the day en route to her 2-over par score of 74. Leah Grawburg, who shot a 7-over par 79, led the team with four birdies.
Also registering birdies for WMU were Maria Demarco and Briana May, each with three. Demarco fired a career low round of 77, marking her lowest opening round in collegiate play of her career as well. May also set a new career low for an opening round with 80 and matched her collegiate career low.
At one point, there were five golfers under par on Friday but at the end of the day it was Peters and Lee who finished round one in red numbers at 2-under par. Missouri State's Catherine Dolan had the best start to the day, registering an eagle on her first hole, the 369-yard par 4 13th hole and following with a birdie. She is tied for sixth after shooting a 1-over par 73.
EMU's six-stroke lead over Michigan separates the Eagles from the pack after shooting a team score of 294, the only team to break 300. Penn State is in third (306), NAU is in fourth (309) and Cincinnati is in fifth (312). Four strokes separate fifth and 10th place in the team standings.
Second round of the Rio Verde Invitational begins with an 8 a.m. MT shotgun.
WMU Individual Scores
T-8th, Britney Hamilton - 74 (+2)
18th, Maria Demarco - 77 (+5) *
T-29th, Leah Grawburg - 79 (+7)
T-41st, Briana May - 80 (+8) *
T-41st, Katrina Templar - 80 (+8) *
T-51st, Kaylee Imel - 81 (+9)
T-51st, Melissa Beurmann - 81 (+9)
T-79th, Stephanie Koske - 86 (+14)
87th, Heather Marks - 89 (+17) *
* Playing as an individual
