DADE CITY, Fla. – Through two rounds at the Spring Break Shootout, the FGCU women's golf team stands in fourth place after turning in a 36-hole, 26-over-par total of 602 Monday at the Lake Jovita Golf Club's South Course in Dade City, Fla.
 
Top-100 teams Southern Miss and Boston College finished the day in a tie for first after turning in a 14-over total of 590. The two teams hold an 11-shot advantage over Georgia Southern, who collectively shot a 25-over 601. FGCU checked in one shot behind the opposing Eagles and holds a one-shot lead over Samford, who rounds out the top-five.

FGCU finished the first two rounds second in par four scoring with a 4.24 average but was near the middle of the field in both par three and par five scoring. Collectively, the Eagles shot two strokes better in the afternoon session and were one of the more consistent teams in the tournament.

"I thought we played pretty solid overall today," said head coach Sarah Trew. "We had some sprinkles in the morning, and the last 11 holes or so were filled with steady rain. I think in the first round were a little rusty from the three-week layoff, however we were able to get some birdies and shots back towards the end. You really have to think your way around this golf course, and we definitely lost some shots out there. We are really close to putting a low round together. Three puts hurt us a lot today. Tomorrow we are looking to manage the course better and get our lag putts closer to the hole."

"Megan (Blonien) and Kate (Williamson) played really well for us. Kelsy (Holbert) had a great first round, and I'm so proud of Ailsa (Clark) for bouncing back after her morning. She was fighting her golf swing in the first round, but stayed patient and settled in in the second round.

Freshman Williamson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy HS) led the way for the Green and Blue as she fired a 1-over 73 in the morning round and backed it up with a 2-over 74 in the afternoon. Williamson finds herself in a tie for sixth place following the first two rounds. In the opening session, the Deerfield Beach, Fla., native went out in a 1-under 35 and got to 2-under with a birdie on the par-5 11th hole. However, a double-bogey on the par-5 13th got her back to even before playing the final five holes at 1-over par. Much like her first 18, Williams birdied a pair of holes on her front nine, but gave both shots back with a double-bogey on the par-5 ninth. She then carded eight pars and a bogey on her way into the clubhouse.
 
One shot behind Williamson, redshirt senior Blonien (Altus, Okla./Oklahoma State/Altus HS) is in a tie for ninth place with a 4-over total of 148 through two rounds. In the morning, Blonien paired a birdie with a bogey on her opening nine and went out in even par. She then bogeyed two of the first three holes on the back nine and double-bogeyed the par-4 15th to move to 4-over. However, the Oklahoma native responded with back-to-back birdies before giving one back on the closing 18th. Her afternoon session was a tale of two nines as she went out in 4-over but made her way back into the clubhouse with a 3-under 33. Blonien was steady with seven pars and a birdie from holes 10 through 17 and closed her round in fashion as she holed out for eagle on the par-4 18th. It was one of three eagles carded in the field during the opening day.

Sophomore Kelsy Holbert (Lutz, Fla./Steinbrenner HS) was the Eagles next in line after turning in a 2-over 74 in the morning but struggling a bit more with an 8-over 80 in the afternoon. After shooting a 4-over on the front side, Holbert turned in an impressive back nine as she birdied a trio of holes to go along with one bogey and finished her opening 18 at 2-over-par. The Lutz, Fla., native started her second round with a birdie on the par-4 third hole but closed out the last four holes of her front nine with a double-bogey, two bogey and a birdie. She then bogeyed four of her first eight holes on the back side before closing the round with a double-bogey on the 18th.

After struggling to a 12-over 84 in her first round of the tournament, Alisa Clark (Navarre, Fla./Navarre HS) matched Blonien for the Eagles low round in the afternoon as she carded a 1-over 73. Clark failed to birdie a hole in her first 18 but tied for the tournament lead with four birdies in the second round to salvage her day. After bogeying the opening hole of the afternoon, the FGCU freshman birdied three straight holes to get her round to 2-under. However, she gave both shots back on the final three holes of the front side before pairing a pair of bogeys with a birdie on the back nine to end her day.

Junior Madeline Marck-Sherk (Ridgeway, Ontario/Ridgeway Crystal Beach HS) was the Eagles final team competitor of the first two rounds as she turned in a 36-hole total of 16-over 160. Marck-Sherk made six bogeys and a double-bogey in her opening 18 holes en route to carding an 8-over 80. In her afternoon session, the Ontario native matched her opening round with one birdie, seven bogeys and one double-bogey.
 
Competing as an individual, junior Madison Easterbrook (Burlington, Ontario/Aldershot HS) finished one shot ahead of Marck-Sherk as her first-round 77 and second-round 82 lead her to a two-round total of 15-over 159. Easterbrook went out in 3-over but quickly got her opening round back to even-par as she birdied the holes of her back nine. However, three bogeys and a double-bogey in her last six holes got her to her 5-over total. On her second 18, the FGCU junior carded a par on only two holes on the front nine and shot a 9-over 45. She was more consistent on the back as a pair of bogeys and a birdie got her in the clubhouse at 1-over in her final nine holes.

FGCU Lineup
T6) Kate Williamson: 73-74: 147 (+3)
T9) Megan Blonien: 75-73: 148 (+4)
T28) Kelsy Holbert: 74-80: 154 (+10)
T38) Alisa Clark: 84-73: 157 (+13)
T46) Madison Easterbrook: 77-82: 159 (+15)
T49) Madeline Marck-Sherk: 80-80: 160 (+16)

Competing Teams (Golfstat Rankings)
1) 68 Southern Miss: 295-295: 590 (+14)
     88 Boston College: 300-290: 590 (+14)
3) 117 Georgia Southern: 302-299: 601 (+25)
4) 147 FGCU: 302-300: 602 (+26)
5) 136 Samford: 295-308: 603 (+27)
6) 132 Western Kentucky: 306-299: 605 (+29)
7) 129 UNF: 306-300: 606 (+30)
8) 119 St. John's: 307-302: 609 (+33)
9) 180 Tennessee Tech: 305-312: 617 (+41)
10) 158 Jacksonville State: 317-308: 625 (+49)
11) 219 Quinnipiac: 320-323: 643 (+67)
12) 242 Fort Wayne: 322-333: 655 (+79)