Hill Registers Hole-In-One

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. -Weather conditions forced a shortened first day of action at the 2011 NAIA Women’s Golf National Championships Tuesday at Link Hills Country Club. Rain forced a four-hour delay and only half of the teams were able to complete 18 holes. Of those squads that were able to play a full round, California Baptist carded a 319 and holds a two-stroke advantage on British Columbia’s 321. Northwood (Fla.) is third at 323, Lubbock Christian (Texas) is fourth at 325 and Shorter (Ga.) is fifth at 326.

Kylie Barros of British Columbia leads the individual leader board of completed competitors after firing an even-par-73. Northwood’s Melanie Roux finished at 2-over-par 75. The California Baptist duo of Adriana Niclotti and Nathalie Silva posted a 76 and are tied for third. Danielle Bellet of Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) and Oklahoma City’s Laura Jones are at 4-over-par 77 to round out the top-five individuals.

The remaining 23 pairings will resume play at the hole they left off on after play was suspended due to darkness on Wednesday at 7 a.m. The Second Round will begin approximately 20 minutes following the completion of the First Round.

Lubbock Christian freshman Shelbye Hill knocked in her first career hole-in-one, using a 4-iron on the 152-yard No. 3. The rookie is the first Lady Chaparral in the program’s history to sink an ace. Hill joins close to 55 other individuals, five of which are women, to record a hole-in-one on No. 3 in the Link Hill Country Club’s 56-year history.

“I didn’t know that it was a hole-in-one until I got up to the green,” Hill said. “I saw it hop, but I didn’t hear it hit the pin. When we got up to the green, there were two balls and no one knew it had gone in. I just figured that I’d have an easy tap in for birdie. One of the girls in my group walked up to the cup and said, ‘Well, it’s time to do your hole-in-one dance!’ I was excited, but I wanted to keep calm.”

The last ace recorded at No. 3 was by Jillian Corum in the second round of the 46th Annual Tennessee Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship on July 8, 2009.