Caroline Caudill leads Blue Raiders through first round of Chattanooga Classic

Sunday, March 27

Chattanooga, TN

Middle Tennessee

Chattanooga Classic

3/27/2022 7:13:00 PM | Women's Golf

By: Thomas Donley, MT Athletics

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Caroline Caudill sits one stroke out of sixth place and three off the lead through one round of the Chattanooga Classic. The graduate student from Clarksville, Tenn., led the Blue Raiders with a score of 73 (+1) to end the day tied for 13th on the par-72, 6,234-yard course at Council Fire Golf Club. The Blue Raiders ended the day in 12th place as a team at 310 (+22).

"It was a pretty tough day out there today," head coach Chris Adams said. "We made some birdies on the back nine but gave too many back with some mistakes that cost us finishing better. Caroline had a solid round today with some pretty tough wind gusts. We are going to refocus for tomorrow and have a game plan that will set us up to move up the leaderboard over the next two days."

Caudill finished the day strong, using a pair of birdies on the back nine to end with MT's lowest score of the round and come in just below her season stroke average. Her 13 pars are two behind the tournament leaders in that category.

Madison Smith ended the day tied for 35th at 76 (+4). The senior from Union, Ky., recorded five birdies before a triple bogey on the 18th hole knocked her out of the top 20. Smith's five birdies are tied for second-most through 18 holes. Sophie Burks tied for 60th at 79 (+7), carding three birdies of her own.

Catherine Caudill wrapped up the round at 82 (+10), putting her in 86th place. Molly Bebelaar's score of 84 (+12) put her in a tie for 94th.

North Florida leads the field at 294 (+6). UTSA's Ana Gonzalez and East Carolina's Julie Boysen Hillestad are tied for the individual lead at 70 (-2). The Blue Raiders head into the second day of play ahead of Conference USA opponents Florida Atlantic (+23) and FIU (+23) and Big Ten members Iowa (+33) and Indiana (+38).

The second round begins with tee times starting at 7:30 a.m. CT Monday. The Blue Raiders' tee times start at 9:00 a.m. CT. Live results will be posted on Golfstat.