LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. - A balanced team performance has the FGCU women's golf team tied for 4th-place and in contention through the first round of the 40th Annual Pat Bradley Invitational at Lakewood Ranch Country Club.

The Eagles shot a 299 as a team, which has them tied with Western Kentucky and just five strokes behind 1st-place Boston College. Natalia Nassar led the team with a 74, while Ailsa Clark, Madeline Marck-Sherk and Kate Williamson each finished one stroke behind her. All four are among the tournament's top 20 individuals. Kelsy Holbert's 77 rounded out the starting lineup.

Nassar's (Floridablanca, Colombia/Colegio Panamericano) +2 has her tied for 12th-place individually. She birdied the 13th and 15th holes. Williamson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy HS) led the Eagles with three birdies, which came on the 1st, 8th and 18th holes. Clark (Navarre, Fla./Navarre HS) joined Nassar by also picking up a birdie in the 13th hole, and FGCU produced six birdies on the back nine.

Marck-Sherk (Ridgeway, Ontario/Ridgeway Crystal Beach HS) added a pair of birdies, while Holbert (Lutz, Fla./Steinbrenner HS) birdied the 12th hole.

Overall, the Eagles are still in contention despite a trio of double bogeys, including two on the 14th hole. In fact, FGCU hit +5 as a team on that hole and +3 on the 11th. The team was under par on the 15th and 18th holes, though, and even par on seven others.

"I am very happy with the way we played today," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "All you can ask out of the first round is to put yourself in contention, which we did today. We still left a few shots out there, but overall we were very consistent. Tomorrow, we are playing 36 holes weather permitting so we are looking to clean up a few key holes, make a few more birdies and put ourselves in good shape."

Ashley Kimbrough (Clearwater, Fla./Indian Rocks Christian School) shot an 87 as an individual.

The tournament's original plan was to play three 18-hole rounds Sunday through Tuesday. However, with inclement weather expected, tournament officials will look to play the final 36 holes on Monday with carts. 

FGCU Lineup
T-12) Natalia Nassar: 74 (+2)
T-19) Madeline Marck-Sherk: 75 (+3)
T-19) Kate Williamson: 75 (+3)
T-19) Ailsa Clark: 75 (+3)
T-37) Kelsy Holbert: 77 (+5)
78) Ashley Kimbrough: 87 (+15)*
* Competing as an individual

ROUND ONE RESULTS (GolfStat Rankings As Of 10/17)

Pos.	School
1	Boston College (110)	294	+6
2	South Florida (206)	295	+7
3	Southern Miss (88)	297	+9
4	FGCU (136)	299	+11
	Western Kentucky (122)	299	+11
6	FIU (154)	301	+13
7	UMKC (202)	303	+15
8	Jacksonville (105)	304	+16
	Georgia State (141)	304	+16
10	Wyoming (133)	305	+17
11	Texas A&M - Corpus Christi (212)	307	+19
12	Cincinnati (147)	310	+22
13	Morehead State (218)	311	+23
14	FAU (208)	313	+25
15	Eastern Michigan (210)	322	+34

IRMA RELIEF DONATIONS
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, many individuals and families throughout Southwest Florida are still in desperate need of assistance. To aid in those relief efforts, FGCU Athletics will be collecting donations at all Eagle home games for the immediate future. Donation items most needed include: non-perishable food, clothing, household items and first-aid supplies. Additionally, those unable to attend upcoming home games can drop off donations in canisters located in the Alico Arena lobby. All donations will be given to those hardest hit in Lee and Collier counties.
 
COACH TREW
Head coach Sarah Trew is in her 7th season at the helm of the FGCU women's golf team. Trew took over in 2011 and has since guided the Eagles to the program's best-ever finish in the ASUN Tournament and to 23 top-5 finishes. The 2013-14 squad set a new single-season scoring record with a team average of 307.88, while also setting a new benchmark academically. The spring of 2015 saw the Eagles again take third place at the ASUN Championship, and recording their best team score of the season while 2016 again set a new standard. In 2015-16, Trew earned her first ASUN Coach of the Year title after the squad recorded a new program best with a 305.29 average and took second-place at the conference tournament – the program's best finish in the event. In the second round of that tournament, the Eagles carded a team score of 290 to set a low-round program record. The 2016-17 Eagles repeated that success with another second-place finish in the ASUN Championship and for the third time since Trew took over, set a new record with a 302.30 stroke average on the season.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the FGCU women's golf program, follow on Twitter at @FGCU_WGolf and on Facebook at /FGCUWGolf.