The University of Kentucky women’s golf team got off to a strong start at the UCF Challenge, shooting 5-under-par 283 in the first round for eighth place. Three players, Laney Frye, Ivy Shepherd, and Marissa Wenzler, reported rounds under par in their first round of the spring schedule.
Frye and Shepherd led the lineup, both shooting 3-under-par 69 in the first round to share 12th place on the individual leaderboard. Frye has begun each of her five tournaments this season under par and had three birdies and an eagle on the front nine and back nine. Shepherd recorded a blemish-free round with birdies on holes 4, 14, and 16.
Wenzler, a senior from Dayton, Ohio, shot a 2-under-par 70 to tie for 22nd place, with three birdies and only one bogey on the par-3 No. 17. Marta López Echevarría, making her lineup debut, shot a 3-over-par 75 for a share of 76th place, while María Villanueva Aperribay turned in a 4-over-par 76 for a share of 84th place.
No. 2 Wake Forest leads the tournament at 20-under-par 268, but Kentucky is just three shots from moving into the top five and six shots from entering the top three on the team leaderboard. The Wildcats will tee off in the second round Monday at 8:30 a.m. ET, paired with 9th-ranked Texas A&M and No. 20 Kent State.
Scorecard
T12 Laney Frye 69 (-3)
T12 Ivy Shepherd 69 (-3)
T22 Marissa Wenzler 70 (-2)
T76 Marta López Echevarría 75 (+3)
T84 María Villanueva Aperribay 76 (+4)
