APSU Sports Information
Owens Cross Roads, AL – Posting a program-best score in Ohio Valley Conference play, Austin Peay State University enjoyed a spectacular opening round at the 2017 OVC Women’s Golf Championships at Hampton Cove Golf Course.
Murray State and Eastern Kentucky share the lead, each at two-under par.
Research suggests that the Governors 303 is their best-ever single-round score at an OVC Championship event, besting a 305 in the second round of the 2013 tournament by two strokes.
Senior Morgan Kauffman had the steadiest round of anyone in the field on Monday, securing a tournament-high 16 pars, with only bogies on No. 2 and No. 17 blemishing her round. Seeking her second straight All-Tournament nod, she’s tied for 10th (74) after 18 holes.
“Kauffman played good, solid golf today,” said head coach Sara Robson. “And she had a couple of putts that should’ve gone in, so she played really good golf today.”
Senior Amber Bosworth got out to a fantastic start, posting three straight birdies on holes No. 3-5 and four total over the first nine holes to take a lead into the turn. A three-hole double-bogey-double stumbling block on holes No. 14-16 knocked her back, but she remains in striking distance tied for 15th (75).
“Amber played lights-out,” Robson said. “I think on the back there was a three-hole stretch where she was trying to protect her score a little bit and that got her a little; she hadn’t been in that position in a while and I’m proud of how well she played.”
Similar to Bosworth, sophomore Ashton Goodley posted three straight birdies of her own on holes No. 13-15; she and junior AnnaMichelle Moore—who is tied for the tournament lead with six birdies—are tied for 23rd after one round with matching 77’s.
“Ashton kept it together on the front nine and finished strong on the back,” Robson said. “AnnaMichelle’s thing is minimizing the double bogeys, but she hit six birdies and that’s a great sign.”
An opening-round 79 for Taylor Goodley is a good indicator of just how good Austin Peay was as a team on Monday—that Goodley, who led Austin Peay in stroke average in 2016-17, could post a round in the 70s and have it not be among the four counters means Robson’s crew is off to a solid start at Hampton Cove.
It’s just the second time this spring that Austin Peay has not counted a round in the 80s; the other was the final round of the Colonel Classic, April 1st.
“Taylor had three holes that just killed her,” Robson said. “She’ll play them a little differently tomorrow and give herself a longer approach but a better chance at par.
“Overall, lowest round of the spring. We played like we played in the fall. Anybody can go low on this course any day, and we had that potential today. We’ll go out tomorrow with a different plan and try to shoot low.”
Second-round action begins 8:50am CT, Tuesday, at Hampton Cove. The Govs will be paired with Morehead State and Tennessee Tech.
Box Score
2017 OVC Women’s Championship
RTJ at Hampton Cove
Owens Crossroads, AL
Dates: April 17th – April 19th
| Finish | School – Players | Round 1 | Total |
| 5 | Austin Peay State University | 303 | 303 |
| T 9 | Morgan Kauffman (1) | 74 | 74 |
| T 13 | Amber Bosworth (5) | 75 | 75 |
| T 20 | Ashton Goodley (3) | 77 | 77 |
| T 20 | AnnaMichelle Moore (4) | 77 | 77 |
| T 28 | Taylor Goodley (2) | 79 | 79 |
