Clemson, S.C. – Western Carolina freshman Marissa Scaletta carved three strokes off her opening-round score on Monday, carding a second-round 1-under-par 71 to finish tied for 12th and lead the Catamount women's golf team at the season-opening Tiger Classic, hosted by Clemson at the par-72, 6,276-yard Walker Course.
 
Scaletta completed her collegiate debut with rounds of 74 and 71 for a 36-hole total of 145. She finished one stroke ahead of junior teammate Elsa Maren Steinarsdôttir, who tied for 15th after rounds of even-par 72 and 2-over-par 74 for a tournament score of 146.
 
Starting on the back nine, Scaletta recovered from consecutive bogeys with her first of two birdies on the par-5 16th. She made the turn to the front side at 1-over par before bogeys on Nos. 2 and 3 pushed her to 3-over. The Belton, South Carolina, native closed her first collegiate round with a birdie for a 2-over-par 74.
 
Scaletta wasted little time finding her rhythm in round two, recording four birdies against a lone bogey through her first eight holes. She made the turn at 3-under par and birdied the par-5, 480-yard first hole to move to 4-under. Despite a double bogey on the third hole and two additional bogeys coming in, the freshman added her sixth birdie of the day to finish with a 1-under-par 71.
 
For the tournament, Scaletta tied for third in the field with eight birdies and ranked fourth in par-5 scoring at 3-under par (4.63 average).
 
Steinarsdôttir totaled five birdies across Monday's 36 holes, including three during her opening-round 72. The Akranes, Iceland, native climbed to 3-under par through her first 10 holes before recording her first bogey of the round. Back-to-back bogeys on No. 18 and holes Nos. 3 and 5 brought her back to even par. In the second round, she stood at 2-over making the turn before recording two birdies and two bogeys over her final seven holes to post a 2-over-par 74.
 
Freshman Kelsey Haverluck opened her collegiate career with a 6-over-par 78 before bouncing back with an even-par 72 in the second round to finish tied for 31st. The Westfield, Indiana, native recorded six birdies during the tournament, including four in the second round to offset four bogeys.
 
Rounding out Western Carolina's scoring lineup were junior Annalee Caveney and freshman Julia Capellini. Caveney finished 51st with a 36-hole score of 166 and recorded a birdie in the opening round. Capellini placed 53rd at 169, highlighted by two birdies in the second round.
 
Competing as individuals, junior Emily Rosenschein finished 49th with a score of 163, while freshman Julie Mathea Busch Braathen placed 52nd with a collegiate-opening total of 168. Rosenschein carded two birdies during the tournament, one in each round.
 
Tournament host Clemson and Augusta University shared the team title at 3-over-par 579, edging East Carolina by one stroke. West Georgia finished fourth at 584, followed by ETSU in fifth at 586. UNCG placed sixth with a score of 593, just ahead of Western Carolina, while UNC Asheville rounded out the field at 622.
 
Augusta's Sara Adams claimed individual medalist honors with a 5-under-par total of 139, one stroke ahead of West Georgia's Emma Baier (140). UNCG's Eleanor Burnette and Clemson's Sarah Uebelhart tied for third at 3-under par 141.
 
Western Carolina returns to action Sept. 14-15 at the Elon Invitational in Burlington, North Carolina. The 54-hole event at Alamance Country Club features 36 holes on Monday followed by the final round on Tuesday.
 
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7 – Western Carolina – 305-301 = 606 (+30)
T12 – Marissa Scaletta – 74-71 = 145 (+1)
T15 – Elsa Maren Steinarsdôttir – 72-74 = 146 (+2)
T31 – Kelsey Haverluck – 78-72 = 150 (+6)
51 – Annalee Caveney – 81-85 = 166 (+22)
53 – Julia Capellini – 85-84 = 169 (+25)
49 – Emily Rosenschein (ind.) – 82-81 = 163 (+19)
52 – Julie Mathea Busch Braathen (ind.) – 82-86 = 168 (+24)