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Sep 14, 2009
McAteer's 68 Paces RiverHawks
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. --- Northeastern State University holds a commanding 39-stroke lead after the opening round of the 11th annual Northeastern State Golf Classic Monday at the Cherry Springs Golf Club.
The RiverHawks opened the 36-hole tournament with a 304 team total led by Jenks freshman Whitney McAteer, who fired a Classic record four-under par 68.
Along with McAteer, the RiverHawks placed four others in the top 10, Liz Cagle (76), Katie Miller (79), Paola Torres (81) and Shaunda Petree (83).
St. Mary's, Texas, trails the RiverHawks in the 10-team field with a distant 343 followed by Oklahoma Baptist University 350, Incarnate Word 357 and Fort Hays State 360.
McAteer had seven birdies during her round, including three straight on the front nine. If not for a bogey and double bogey, the RiverHawks' sensation would have had an opening round 65 in just her second collegiate tournament.
The freshman's round was just one off the school record held by Danielle (Miron) Frost, her former high school coach at Jenks. Frost fired her 67 at the 2004 West Regional in Las Cruses, N.M.
''I felt really good about my play,'' said McAteer. ‘'When I started out I felt like I knew the course after the qualifying round.
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"I started making birdies, gained a lot of confidence, and really got into it. It just filtered out the whole 18.
‘'My putting was just crazy today. Everything was just going in and going in. I felt like I could just get up and down from just anywhere. It was a good feeling.''
The former Jim Thorpe Golfer of the Year and All-State holds a five-stroke lead over second place Urusla Perez (73) of St. Mary's Texas.
McAteer is looking forward to Tuesday's final round, hoping for a continued hot putter.
‘'Hopefully I can continue my putting and hitting the ball where I want it to go. I came out of the Alabama tournament (her first collegiate tournament last week) and didn't play as well as I wanted.
‘'I wanted to prove today that I was supposed to be here and prove to coach how I should play. Hopefully I did today and it will continue,'' said McAteer.