04/15 at 07:33 PM

If there was any doubt her team could compete with the best the SEC has to offer, it’s gone now.

Of course, Auburn head women’s golf coach Kim Evans said she has known all season her team is capable, but after Friday’s round, so do her players.

“I think that our expectations were just to get out and keep reminding ourselves that we can play and we’re ready for this,” Evans said. “We’ve prepared for it all year.

“I think this team has gotten together and made some goals as a team that just shows a lot of heart and soul. They all know they can do it. They’re ready.”

And it showed Friday, as the Tigers jumped out to a 5-under (283) first round to lead the SEC Women’s Golf Tournament by three strokes.

Held at its home course — the Auburn University Club — the women’s squad was trying to distance itself from the pressure of being the “home team” all week leading up to the conference event.

Now, it’s just about playing well. Which the Tigers did, with three of the top four scores coming in under par.

Cydney Clanton led Auburn with a 3-under 69, which puts her in a tie for second with Arkansas Emily Tubert in the individual competition. Tennessee’s Erica Popson leads the event after carding a first-round record 6-under 66.

Auburn’s Carlie Yadloczky finished Day 1 with a 2-under 70 and Central-Phenix City grad Haley Wilson was one shot back with a 1-under 71. Marta Sanz was the fourth-and-final score taken toward the Tigers’ team total, shooting a 1-over 73.

Clanton tried not to let her nerves get in the way, but it was easier said than done at the beginning of her round.

“A little slow at the start,” she said. “Little nervous, just with being in Auburn and playing the golf course every day and family here, and I guess with just the expectations. But I calmed down throughout, made some birdies, hit some really good shots and just kind of got some momentum on the backside.”

Clanton birdied six holes on the day, but gave three stokes back with that many bogies. Yadloczky was 3-under coming into the final hole, but a bogey on 18 left her with a first-round 70. However, she was happy with the way she struck the ball.

“I was hitting really good shots today,” she said. “My driver was working good for me. I had a pretty good up-and-down and putting round.”

As a team, the Tigers are three shots ahead of Tennessee (285) with 36 holes to play. LSU is in third at 287, Arkansas is fifth at 289 and Alabama rounds out the top five at 291.

“That’s a pretty solid round for the first day,” Clanton said, “but it’s a three-day tournament, so there’s a lot of golf left.”

Evans agrees.

“It’ll be a dogfight for the rest of the weekend,” she said. “This (score) won’t lay down, because this course will reward you if you’re playing well.

“And this tournament won’t be over till the last putt falls.”

The second round begins this morning at 8:30 a.m. Admission is free for the public.

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Top 10 Individual Scores
1) Erica Popson, Tennessee -6

T2) Cydney Clanton, Auburn -3

T2) Emily Tubert, Arkansas -3

T4) Carlie Yadloczky, Auburn -2

T4) Tessa Teachman, LSU -2

T4) Anna Leigh Keith, Vanderbilt -2

T4) Brook Pancake, Alabama -2

T4) Marta Silva Zamora, Georgia -2

T9) Haley Wilson, Auburn -1

T9) Erika Thornton, Miss. State -1

T9) Kiara Hayashida, Georgia -1

T9) Mia Piccio, Florida -1

T9) Stephanie Meadow, Alabama -1

TEAM SCORES
1)    Auburn -5

2)    Tennessee -3

3)    LSU -1

4)    Arkansas +1

5)    Alabama +3

6)    Georgia +4

7)    Vanderbilt +7

8)    Florida +13

9)    South Carolina +14

T10) Kentucky +27

T10) Miss. State +27

12) Ole Miss +28