Oct. 3, 2008

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The No. 14 ranked Florida State University women's golf team is in seventh place after the first round of the Tar Heel Invitational at the Finely Golf Course. Caroline Westrup, the Seminoles' senior All-American, is in a tie for 10th place in the individual standings after carding a one-over par 73 in the first of the three rounds of 18 holes.

Westrup, the No. 1 ranked women's collegiate golfer in the nation, is only two strokes off of the pace set by five different golfers. Westrup carded four birdies including two on her final six holes of the round to pull within two stokes of the leaders. The group of five leaders includes two golfers from Virginia, two from Wake Forest and one from Kent State.

The Seminoles are in seventh place in the team standings and are 12 strokes behind the co-leaders, Wake Forest and Virginia. The Demon Deacons and Cavaliers have three players placed in the top 10 of the individual standings.

In addition to Westrup's score of 73, the Seminoles also counted scores of 74 by freshman Hannah Thomson, 77 by senior Lauren Cousart and an 82 by junior Lacey Agnew.

Westrup (Ahus, Sweden) played well and would have spent the entire round at or under par if she had not carded a double bogey on her ninth hole. That hole soured an otherwise under par round. Westrup was one over par on her front nine and even par on her back nine.

Thomson, a freshman playing in her second match as a Seminole, also played well. She got off to a great start with three birdies on her first nine holes and finished her front nine at even par. Thomson's (Perth, Australia) only difficult hole on her front nine was a double bogey on the par three fifth hole. She was then two over par on her back nine.

Cousart (Athens, Ga.) shot a five over par 77 with par on 10 of her last 13 holes. She began the day well and was one under after her first three holes. Agnew (Jonesboro, Ga.) finished with an 82 while Whitney Wenglasz, who is playing in her first event as a Seminole carded an 83.

"The golf course won today," said head coach Debbie Dillman. "It was tough for all of the teams out there, but overall I am not disappointed because I know there are some good things coming for our players. We played well, had a great attitude and worked hard on each hole. We are all looking forward to tomorrow's round."

Florida State begins Saturday's second round well within striking distance of the team leaders. The Seminoles are only five strokes out of moving into the top five and are only 12 strokes behind the leaders, Wake Forest and Virginia.

Tar Heel Invitational/Oct. 3-5, 2008/Par 72
Finley Golf Course/Chapel Hill, N.C./First Round FSU Results
7/18.  Florida State      306
T10.   Caroline Westrup   73
T14.   Hannah Thomson     74
T37.   Lauren Cousart     77
T74.   Lacey Agnew        82
T83.   Whitney Wenglasz   83

Tar Heel Invitational/Oct. 3-5, 2008/Par 72
Finley Golf Course/Chapel Hill, N.C./First Round Team Results
T1.   Wake Forest       294   T9.   Kent State        308
      Virginia          294   T11.  UCF               309
3.    North Carolina    299   T11.  Michigan State    309
T4.   Louisville        301   13.   South Carolina    310
T4.   Texas A&M         301   14.   Tulsa             311
6.    Vanderbilt        302   T15.  NC State          312
7.    Florida State     306   T15.  Kentucky          312
8.    Ohio State        307   17.   Furman            315
T9.   Auburn            308   18.   UNC Greensboro    324