DOTHAN, Ala. - The Florida Gulf Coast University women's golf team sits in second place after the first round of the ASUN Championship on Friday afternoon at Dothan Country Club, posting a team score of 1-over to trail first-place North Florida by 11 strokes.

Three Eagles finished the opening round at even-par 72 to share a tie for fifth place individually, Amelie Alcantara, Sydney Deal and Lousiane Gauthier, while Islay Benoit is tied for 12th at 1-over and Leonie Wulfers rounds out the lineup in a tie for 31st at 4-over.


TEAM LEADER - North Florida (-10)
INDIVIDUAL LEADER - Brianna Castaldi, North Florida (-5)
LOCATION - Dothan Country Club | Par 72 | 6,256-yard
STANDINGS - 

1. North Florida (-10)

2. Florida Gulf Coast (+1)

3. Lipscomb (+4)

4. Stetson (+8)

5. Eastern Kentucky (+10)

6. Bellarmine (+11)

T7. Central Arkansas (+12)

T7. Austin Peay (+12)

9. West Georgia (+13)

10. North Alabama (+17)

11. Jacksonville (+25)

12. Queens (+26)

Gauthier got off to a hot start, draining a birdie on the opening hole and adding another on the par-5 sixth to reach 2-under through six holes. A bogey on hole seven brought her back to 1-under at the turn with a front-nine 35. On the back, she picked up her third birdie of the day on the par-3 13th to briefly reach 1-under before a bogey on 15 brought her back to even, where she finished with a back-nine 37 and an even-par 72.

Alcantara was solid through the front nine, playing the first six holes at even par before a bogey on hole seven pushed her to 1-over at the turn with a 37. She came alive on the back nine, carding birdies on holes 11 and 13 to reach 1-under for the round, but a bogey on 14 pulled her back to even par. She closed with a back-nine 35 to sign for 72.

Deal was the Eagles' most productive birdie maker on the day, recording four on the round to tie for the fourth most in the field. She birdied holes two, three and six on the front nine to reach 2-under, posting a 34 outward half. The back nine proved more challenging, as bogeys on holes 11, 14 and 15 offset her birdie on hole 10, leading to a 38 on the inward half and an even-par 72.

Benoit navigated the front nine with precision, carding pars on the first six holes before a bogey on hole seven pushed her to 1-over at the turn with a 37. On the back, she bounced back with birdies on holes 10 and 16 but gave shots back with bogeys on 12 and 18 to finish with a 36 inward half and a 1-over 73. Benoit's 14 pars on the day were tied for the third most in the field.

Wulfers had a resilient front nine despite some early struggles, recording birdies on holes two, six and seven while battling bogeys on holes one, three and five to finish the outward half at even-par 36. The back nine proved difficult, as a bogey on 10, a double bogey on 12 and a bogey on 16 led to a 40 inward half and a 4-over 76.

As a unit, FGCU produced 14 birdies in the opening round, tied for the second most in the field, and recorded 57 pars, tied for third most. Gauthier and Wulfers each tallied three birdies, tied for the eighth most among all players, while Alcantara posted 13 pars on the day, tied for sixth most in the field.


The Eagles return to Dothan Country Club on Saturday for the second round of the ASUN Championship.

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