The Eastern women’s golf team is in seventh place of eight teams after the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Championships hosted by Jacksonville State at The Shoals on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Eastern finished with a team score of 334 (+49) after the first round and currently sits three strokes behind sixth place Eastern Kentucky (334) and 17 strokes behind first place team Murray State (320).

Eastern golfers had to battle bad weather throughout the entire first round.

“It was really tough,” said sophomore Jaymie Voorhees. “It was very cold. One minute it would be sleeting, and the next, it would just be very windy.”

Junior Michelle Anderson said the weather has not been good to the Panthers all spring.

“Weather was not too nice today,” Anderson said. “It was tough to play in. Hopefully we can get better weather tomorrow.”

Anderson said The Shoals on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is one of the most difficult courses she has played all season.

Voorhees led all Panthers with an 82 (+10) to open the first round of the tournament. Her score was good enough to place her tied for 13th.

“I am striking the ball well, but I am not getting it close enough to the hole,” Voorhees said.”

Anderson was one shot behind Voorhees finishing first-round play with an 83, which was good enough for a tie of 15th place.

“I played better than my score shows,” Anderson said. “I played well, but had a couple of tough holes at the end of my round.”

Anderson said she hopes to hit her driver better and she hopes to make more puts in the second round.

Junior Carrie Riordan, who early Monday was named to the OVC First Team before the start of the tournament, shot a first-round 85, which was good enough for a tie for 23rd.

Voorhees said the team didn’t play well Monday, but are confident they can improve in the second round.

Austin Peay freshman Chelsea Harris is currently in first place after a first-round score of 77.

The three-round tournament will continue today as the first tee time is scheduled for 8 a.m. Eastern fans can follow live scoring of the event through the Ohio Valley Conference Web site.

Dan Cusack can be reached at 581-7944 or at dscusack@eiu.edu.