The No. 2 ranked Emory University women's golf program seized the top spot on the team leaderboard following the first round of the Tartan Invitational Monday afternoon. The 36-hole event is being hosted by Carnegie Mellon University at the Nemacolin Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania.
Sophomore Esther Jung led the way for the Eagles on day one as she fired a team-leading one-under 71. As a team, Emory sits with a 299 (+11) and holds a four-stroke lead over second place WashU. The host Tartans stand seven shots back in third place.
Jung's first round featured an eagle on hole 16, two birdies and 12 pars. Following the first round, she is one of five Eagles inside the top-20 and will enter Tuesday in second position on the individual leaderboard and trails WashU's Sydney Kuo by three strokes.
A pair of Eagles finished the day two shots behind Jung with newcomers Zimo Li and Covi Yan entering the clubhouse with a one-over 73. Li posted 13 pars and two birdies on the day while Yan used a team-best four birdies and 12 pars to erase a quadruple-bogey on her second hole of the afternoon. Both Eagles stand in a tie for third overall with Yan competing as an individual at the tournament.
Senior Ellen Dong recorded a four-over 76 in her return to the lineup and ended the afternoon in a tie for seventh. Dong notched a pair of birdies and 12 pars across her round.
Rounding out the Eagles' scorecard was sophomore Carys Code and senior Sharon Mun. After opening her round with three bogeys as well as a quadruple-bogey, Code rebounded with a 35 on her back nine, the second-lowest figure on the team, thanks to two of her three birdies on the day and six straight pars. She'll enter round two in a tie for 20th. Mun sits in a tie for 28th after carding an 80 following a round that featured 13 pars.
The Tartan Invitational will conclude on Tuesday with an 8:30 AM shotgun start.
