FSC's Burgner Shares Lead After First Round in NCAA

Heather Burgner capitalized on a fortunate bounce and rolled in six birdie putts for a 2-under-par 70 to take a share of the lead in the first round of the NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championships on Tuesday in Houston, Texas. "It feels good. I'm in a good position. It's exciting," Burgner said.

The Florida Southern junior from Lakeland made back-to-back putts of more than 20 feet coming down the stretch, one of them on the par-3 15th hole at Memorial Park Golf Course.

"There's water that guards the green. I hit my 5-wood and a gust of wind came up and it almost went in the water," Burgner said. "But my ball bounced on the concrete bank and onto the green, about 30 feet to the right of the hole. It was a big right-to-lefter, and I made it. That was pretty exciting."

Burgner, competing as an individual after finishing second in the South Regional, is tied for the lead with Fredrika Hakansson of Nova Southeastern in the 72-hole event. The FSC team finished third at the regional tournament and didn't qualify.

"She's really hitting the ball well and giving herself a chance for some birdies," said FSC coach Robbie Davis, who is in Houston with Burgner. "It could have been a little lower. She bogeyed the last hole, but she played great."

Hakansson, who helped Nova Southeastern take the team lead, birdied No. 18 to earn a share of the lead.

"That was a little disappointing, but it's a tough hole," said Burgner, who didn't get up-and-down from a greenside bunker on the home hole.

Burgner, 20, said a new putter paid immediate dividends, with 28 strokes on the greens.

"I actually just switched putters," she said. "I've been putting with my SeeMore, but I switched to a Rise and I like it a lot. I just put it in my bag on Friday, the day before I came to Texas."

She followed the 30-footer on No. 15 with another long-range birdie on the par-5 16th hole.

"I had an uphill putt that was about 20 feet. I hit it way too hard, but it hit the back of the hole. It bounced up about an inch and fell back into the hole," Burgner said.

The former George Jenkins High School standout also canned birdie putts at No. 3, No. 5, No. 10 and No. 13, all inside 10 feet.

Burgner, an All-Sunshine State Conference selection, leads the Lady Mocs in stroke average at 75.11, and she has posted seven top-five finishes this season. But she hasn't won a collegiate tournament since arriving at Florida Southern.

While Burgner and Hakansson are tied for the individual lead, Nova Southeastern posted a 4-over team total for a one-shot lead over Sunshine State Conference foe Rollins.

Ferris State is four shots back in third place, while Western Washington is fourth at 18-over.

[ Del Milligan can be reached at del.milligan@theledger.com or at 863-802-7555. ]