USC’s Prono Shoots Erratic Round at NCAA Golf Tournament

Miami grabbed the team lead Wednesday and Louisiana State’s Barbara van Strien shot a women’s course record 69 to take a one-shot advantage in the individual competition after one round of the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships.

USC was sixth in the team standings as Flori Prono of Northridge, an All-American candidate heading into the season, struggled to a 4-over-par 77. Her erratic round consisted of an eagle, a birdie, seven bogeys and nine pars. Her eagle came on the par-5, 419-yard fourth hole when she knocked in a 9-iron shot from about 25 yards out.

Miami, paced by a 2-under-par 71 by Jill Briles on the 6,100-yard, par-73 Scarlet Course, compiled a first-round score of 294, one stroke better than Southern Methodist and three ahead of defending champion Florida.

Van Strien, a native of Holland, made the turn in 2-over 38 before blistering the back side in 6-under 31 with four birdies and an eagle-3 on the 11th hole. Her round bested the previous women’s competitive mark by two strokes.

“I started hitting the greens, which I didn’t do on the front side,” said Van Strien, a sophomore.