CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Three Paladins shot even par to tie for 24th and lead the Furman women's golf team (+1) Friday at the 44th Annual Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational at the par 72 6,379 yard UNC Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, N.C. 

Junior Carly Burkhart (E) of Greenville, S.C., along with freshman Caroline Wrigley (E) of Spartanburg, S.C., and junior Caitlin Cotterill (E) of Auckland, New Zealand, paced the Paladins in round one of the tournament.  The Furman trio each posted a team-high three birdies on Friday.

Freshman Anna Morgan (+1) and sophomore Sarah-Eve Rhéaume (+1) each tallied a 73 to tie for 35th.  Morgan scored birdies on No. 6 and No. 18, while Rhéaume eagled the par-5 No. 17 and added birdies on No. 3 and No. 18. 

Ohio State's Aneka Seumanutafa (-6) led the field with a 66 on Friday to take a three-stroke lead into Saturday's second round.

Top-ranked Wake Forest (-6) holds a one-stroke lead over No. 38 Kentucky (-5) and 16th-ranked Alabama (-5) after one round.  No. 40 North Carolina (-4) and Ohio State are tied for fourth, while 19th-ranked Michigan State (-2) sits in sixth.  Charlotte (E) is seventh going into Saturday's second round, followed by the 30th-ranked Paladins (+1) in eighth.

The second round of the 54-hole tournament will begin at 8:51 a.m. on Saturday, with final round play slated for Sunday at 9:15  a.m.  Furman will tee off of No. 1 beginning at 9:09 a.m. on Saturday and will play in a group with Charlotte and South Carolina.  Admission to the tournament is free and fans are welcome.  Results and live tournament scoring are available via www.FurmanPaladins.com and www.golfstat.com.

8 Furman 289 +1

T24 Carly Burkhardt 72 E

T24 Caroline Wrigley 72 E

T24 Caitlin Cotterill 72 E

T35 Anna Morgan 73 +1

T35 Sarah-Eve Rhéaume 73 +1