The fifth-ranked University of Florida women’s golf team fired an opening 9-over-par 297 to share the first-round lead of the 2008 Southeastern Conference Championship with Arkansas on Friday at the Tennessee National Golf Club.

The Lady Gators and No. 12-ranked Lady Razorbacks are three shots clear of third place No. 7 Georgia and No. 37 South Carolina, who both sit at 12-over 300. No. 10 Alabama is in fifth place following a 19-over round of 307. Florida sat in the middle of the standings early but at one point held a six-shot lead before dropping back to a tie.

“We had a slow start, a surge and then slowed our play again,” UF head coach Jill Briles-Hinton said. “I think the girls were nervous to begin with because they expect a lot out of themselves. We left a few shots out there, but they didn’t quit. That’s one thing about this team. We have put ourselves in a good position to start.”

Three Florida players posted rounds in the individual top 10. Senior Tiffany Chudy (Miramar, Fla.), who is competing in her third SEC Championship, opened with an even-par 72 and is within three shots of the lead held by Arkansas’ Stacy Lewis at 3-under. Lewis, Georgia’s Krystle Caithness and Ole Miss’ Dori Carter provided the only under-par rounds on Friday.

After opening with two pars, Chudy struggled with three straight bogeys on holes three, four and five. Another bogey on the par-4 eighth hole dropped her to 4-over heading to the ninth tee. However, the senior responded with a birdie on No. 9 and then tied for the lowest back-nine score of the day at 3-under.

“She does have the (SEC) experience we need,” Briles-Hinton said of Chudy. “She had some early putting problems, and that was the difference in the two nines. She hit the ball well all day and made some putts down the stretch.”

Chudy rolled in a birdie on the par-3 12th and then fought back to even par with back-to-back birdies on holes 14 and 15. Her 3-under 33 in her final nine holes tied for the lowest back-nine score of the day with first-round leader Lewis. The senior secured her score by draining a 30-foot par-saving putt on 18. It marked Chudy’s sixth round this season at or under-par.

Freshman Hannah Yun (Bradenton, Fla.), making her SEC Championship debut, opened with a 1-over 73 and is in a four-way tie for sixth place. Yun birdied the opening 390-yard par-4 and took bogeys in two of her next four holes. She started her back nine with consecutive birdies on holes 10 and 11.

Senior Whitney Myers (East Berlin, Pa.) shares 10th place with three other players following a 2-over 74. Myers was the only player in the field to register an eagle on the day after carding one on the par-5 14th. She counted two birdies on her front nine.

Freshman Jessica Yadloczky (Casselberry, Fla.) is in a tie for 26th place. Yadloczky posted a 6-over 78 and tallied six bogeys to two birdies. She took a double-bogey six on the par-4 18th. Redshirt junior Ornella Jouven (La Ciotat, France) shot an 88 (+16) on Friday that put her in 58th place.

Inclement weather in the forecast has pushed Saturday tee times back to 11 a.m. ET. Florida goes off at 11:50 a.m. ET with Arkansas and South Carolina. Live scoring of the second round can be followed at www.Gatorzone.com and www.Golfstat.com.

Team Scores After Round 1

Individual Top 10 Through Round 1 

Florida Results After Round 1