PINEHURST, NC – A rough day on the historic Pinehurst No. 1 course was made brighter by the performance of junior Paige Kemp, who posted a career-best round of three-under par 69 in the second round of the Pinehurst Challenge on Monday.
 
Kemp's round, which featured four birdies and just one bogey, has her tied for ninth place overall in the 18-team event. Kemp opened her day with a four-over par 76 in the first round, but found her groove in the second. After opening the round with a bogey on the par three seventh hole, Kemp played bogey free the rest of the way.
 
"I tried to just take it one shot at time and stay focused," Kemp said of her round.
 
After a first round that included four bogeys and a double, she said the difference in the second round was her putting.
 
"I had to get the putts going," Kemp said. "I had to get a feel for the greens and just get them rolling. I know I am a good player, but I have to relax and not put pressure on myself."
 
Kemp said the biggest issue for all the players on Monday was the weather. Play started with temperatures in the 40s and the high for the day never got out of the 60s. The forecast for Tuesday is more of the same.
 
"It was hard because it was so cold," Kemp said. "Playing 36 holes, and we were playing foursomes, made for a long day out in the cold."
 
With her career best round in the books, Kemp said her plan for Tuesday is to try to keep the roll going.
 
"I just want to take one shot at a time and see what happens," Kemp said. "I'd like to finish in the top 10, but I don't want to put too much pressure on myself. I am going to go out just like I am going to play with friends."
 
Despite Kemp's efforts in the second round, the Hatters ended the day in 15^th place. Stetson posted team scores of 306 and 301 and is 35 shots behind defending tournament champion East Carolina. The Pirates are four-under par as a team after the first two round, 10 shots ahead of second place Auburn, and 11 ahead of third place Samford.
 
East Carolina's Lisa Pettersson was the star of the day, following an even par 72 in the first round with a seven-under par 65 in the afternoon. That was good enough to give her a one-shot lead over Auburn's Kelli Murphy, who opened with a 65 but then had a 73 in the second round.
 
Behind Kemp, none of the other Hatters were able to break 75 in either round. Senior Kristine Odaiyar posted scores of 75 and 77 and is tied for 52^nd in the field. Junior Eilidh Watson and senior Giulia Vandenberg are tied for 73^rd overall. Both had rounds of 77 and 78 on the opening day.
 
Junior Carolin Schart struggled the most for the Hatters, posting scores of 83 and 78. She is tied for 90^th.
 
The Hatters will open play in the final round on Tuesday looking to make up some ground on the teams in front of them. Stetson is within five shots of three teams - Morehead State, Jacksonville State and High Point. Play will begin with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m.
 
Live scoring will be available throughout the final round on Tuesday via GolfStat.com.I tried to just take one shot at
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.