ST. HELENA ISLAND, SC – North Carolina A&T senior women's golfer Ekaterina Prokhorova again finds herself in the top five of a collegiate tournament.
After the first round of the Fripp Island Intercollegiate hosted by USC Upstate, Prokhorova, who has finished in the top five in her last five tournaments played, is in a tie for fifth place with Presbyterian's Sloane Spessard after both golfers shot a first-round 5-over 77 on the par-72, 6,040-yard Fripp Island Resort golf course.
Prokhorova is eight shots off the lead behind clubhouse leader Katie Stephens from Charleston Southern after Stephens shot a first-round 3-under 69. Stephens leads second-place Maddie Peake from Presbyterian by five strokes. Peake is followed by Charleston Southern's Eugenie Varet (75) and Gardner-Webb's Eva Bulger (76) before the fifth-place tie. Prokhorova's teammates, senior Polina Marina and junior Sofia Fernando, also had good first rounds.
Marina and Fernando are in a five-way tie for seventh place with a 6-over 78, followed closely by senior Tori Mouton, who is in a four-way tie for 12th place after shooting a 7-over 79. A&T is in third place after shooting a 24-over 312.
The Aggies are 10 shots behind the leader, Charleston Southern, who shot a 14-over 302. The Aggies are two shots behind second-place Presbyterian. The Blue Hose shot a 22-over 310.
Prokhorova posted six pars, a bogey, a double bogey, and a birdie on the front nine. Her birdie came on the par-5, 484-yard ninth. She made the turn and carded pars on No. 10 and No. 11 before her next three holes included two bogeys and a par before securing a birdie on the par-3, 151-yard 15th. Meanwhile, Fernando had an excellent start to Round 1.
Fernando birdied her first two holes, including the par-5, 486-yard first and the par-4, 363-yard second. Her next three holes included a bogey and two double bogeys. After a par on No. 6, she birdied the par-4, 382-yard seventh. Fernando finished the front nine with a bogey and par before she made the turn and birdied the 446-yard par-5 10th. The remainder of her back nine included five pars and three bogeys.
Marina had one birdie during the first round, with a birdie on No. 10. Mouton also birdied No. 10 for her only birdie of the first round. Junior Kaathi Gunasegar also participated for the Aggies, shooting a 13-over 85.
The five-team field returns to action on Sunday.
