April 14, 2011

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Tournament Central

PHOENIX (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV women's golf team came firing out of the gates during the first round of the 2011 Mountain West Conference Championship, establishing a three-stroke lead over second-place TCU in a record-setting round.

"The girls came out and played exceptionally well today," said first-year head coach Amy Bush. "Everything finally clicked for Ellis on the course today and it showed. Therese battled back after a slow start to climb up the board and we had good rounds from Alejandra, Bethany and Katerina to make it a total team effort. We look forward to another great day tomorrow!"

Led by sophomore Ellis Keenan's career-best, 4-under par round of 68, the Rebels combined to shoot the lowest team score during the opening round in championship history with a 2-under par, 286. Keenan's round of 68 ties former Rebel Elena Kurokawa (2004) and New Mexico's Kristi Larsen (2002) for the lowest opening-round total at the MWC Championship.

"I am very pleased with today's round," said Keenan. "I have been improving each tournament and it was nice to play and have everything come together, especially my putting. I was able to have a lot of good birdie opportunities go my way today."

Keenan opened up with a 3-under 33 on the front nine, carding birdies on the fourth, fifth and eighth holes. Following a bogey on the par-4, 373-yard 10th, she made birdie two holes later to get back to 3-under. A bogey on the par-4 15th was followed by back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th. Her six birdies in the opening round is a career-best and the most by a Rebel golfer in a single round this season.

Two strokes behind Ellis in a tie for second place is Therese Koelbaek. The three-time MWC Golfer of the Month award winner got off to a rocky start with bogey's on two of the first three holes and a total of three on the front nine. The two-time All-American put it together on the back nine though, starting off with a birdie on the par-3 12th before an eagle from 145 yards out on the par-4, 16th got her back to even par. Koelbaek would go on to birdie the 17th and 18th holes to finish with a 2-under round of 70.

Bethany Glassford and Alejandra Guacaneme each turned in rounds of 74 (+2) on the day and stand in a six-way tie for 11th place. Glassford was 1-under heading into the turn, but bogies on two of the first three holes on the back nine dropped her to 1-over. A bogey on the par-5, 18th gave her a 3-over 39 on the back nine. After carding a 1-over 37 on the front nine, Guacaneme opened the back with two straight bogies but chipped in for birdie on the par-3, 17th to move to +2.

UNLV is seeking its fourth MWC Championship in program history. The Rebels were back-to-back-to-back champions from 2004-06, joining New Mexico as the only two teams to win at least three in a row.

The three-day tournament will continue tomorrow, with the first tee time coming at 7 a.m. from the Red/Heritage Course at the Wigwam Resort.