NCAA Women’s Golf: Georgia’s Burger Opens With 75

Emilie Burger, Photo by Sonny Kennedy, http://www.sonnykennedyphotography.com/

Georgia’s Emilie Burger carded a 3-over 75 in the opening round of the 2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships at the University of Georgia Golf Course on Friday. That tally placed the senior from Hoschton in a tie for 64th among the 126 golfers in the field.

“If I look at this today, I didn’t have my ‘A’ game,” Burger said. “This was probably more like my ‘C’ game. You’re going to have a bad round because there are four rounds. So if this is my worst one by Sunday, I’m going to be top five or maybe close to winning.”

“Emilie played like she has all year,” head coach Josh Brewer said. “She just missed a few little putts, but I think it’s just more adrenaline and anxiety. I don’t think she’s ever missed those at all. I just think playing in front of more people and friends and playing here at home contributed to that. You just take it as a disadvantage today and then use it as an advantage on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.”

After opening with a tap-in bar, Burger lipped out a 5-foot par putt at No. 2. That was an unfortunate omen for the much of the rest of her day. Following her round, Burger was able to quickly rattle off eight lip-outs on the day, including four from three-feet or less.

“I was hitting it really well,” Burger said. “I hit a lot of greens, but the ones that I did, it was just a bad missed club. On hole 11, I had a funky line and it just shot off the club face and went over. Then I had all those lip outs, but there’s not much you can do.”

Emilie Burger, Photo by Sonny Kennedy, http://www.sonnykennedyphotography.com/

Burger missed the green to the left at No. 3. Her chip raced directly over the cup and off the fringe. She got up and down for a second straight bogey. Burger sank a 20-foot putt at No. 5 but gave that stroke back with another short par miss at No. 6.

After turning at 2-over, she birdied No. 10 but double-bogeyed No. 11. Burger birdied No. 16 but again gave that shot back with a bogey at No. 16.

“The greens are rolling probably as good as I’ve ever seen them roll,” Burger said. “They’re pretty quick, too. You just have to miss it in the right spots. If you miss it by the hole, it’s going to be hard to putt. So just missing it in the right places is key because they have it set up really tough, which they should.”

After playing in the morning on Tuesday, Burger will be in the afternoon wave on Wednesday. She will tee off from No. 10 at 12:48.