Razorbacks sit 3rd at SECs

Led by junior Kendall Todd, the No. 8 University of Arkansas women’s team shot a 2-over 282 on Friday and is in fifth place after the first round of the SEC Championships at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla.

Todd shot a 3-under 67 on the 6,150-yard, par-70 course and is tied with three other golfers one shot behind leader Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio of Texas A&M.

No. 2 South Carolina holds the first-round lead at 5 under, with No. 10 Auburn and No. 18 Texas A&M four strokes behind. Mississippi State is in fourth place after firing an even-par 280, with Arkansas two shots behind.

The rest of the top eight consists of Kentucky (4 over), No. 7 LSU (5 over) and No. 13 Ole Miss (+6).

Rounding out the field is No. 15 Florida and No. 20 Vanderbilt tied at 8 over, Alabama (10 over), No. 23 Georgia (11 over), Tennessee (20 over) and Missouri (24 over).

The field will be cut to eight teams and seeded for match play and medalist honors recognized after Sunday’s third round.

Todd played a bogey-free round and had birdies on Nos. 7, 10 and 11. Razorback sophomore Reagan Zibilski shot even par, highlighted by an eagle 3 on the 495-yard fifth hole. Senior Kajal Mistry birdied the 18th to finish at 1-over 71.

The Razorbacks’ other counting score came from freshman Maria Jose Marin, who was coming off a 30th place finish at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She had a 74 on Friday that was hampered by bogeys on the last three holes.

Senior Miriam Ayora posted a non-counting 75. She entered the last four holes at 1 over but finished with a double bogey, two bogeys and a par.

Tied with Todd at 3 under are South Carolina’s Hannah Darling and the Mississippi State duo of Avery Weed and Julia Lopez Ramirez.

The Razorbacks are scheduled to go off the 10th tee with Mississippi State at 10 a.m. Central today as the only two-team pairing.