NINETY SIX. S.C. – Campbell took a 19-stroke lead after a record-breaking first round Sunday in the Big South Conference Women's Golf Championship at The Patriot at Grand Harbor.  With all five golfers among the top nine individuals, Campbell shot a 10-under-par 278 to set a conference championship and school record for lowest round. 

Freshman Louise Latorre equaled the Big South Championship individual record low round with a four-under-par 68 on the par-72, 6083-yard Patriot layout.  She holds a one stroke lead over teammates Lisbeth Brooks and Kaylin Yost.  Tahnia Ravnjak is tied for fifth at even-par 72, while Nadine White is tied for ninth at 2-over 74.

Campbell's team effort broke the previous Big South Championship record by nine strokes (287) set by Coastal Carolina in 2006 and matched one year later by Birmingham-Southern.  The 10-under-par 278 also surpassed CU's previous school record 282 set at the 2012 Palmetto Intercollegiate.

"What they did today was just a remarkable feat," said Campbell head coach John Crooks.  "Each person was just being what they were capable of being.  Before we started we talked about all the under-par round that we've had this year and four of them shot par or better today.  This golf course does not play easy.  There are lots of challenging shots and the greens are tough.  It was really a remarkable round."

Coastal Carolina is second on the team leader board after an opening round nine-over 297.  High Point (301) is third, followed by Gardner-Webb (306) and Presbyterian (309).  Charleston Southern and Winthrop are tied for sixth (310), followed by Radford (311) and Longwood (316).

A native of Pau, France, Latorre made 7 birdies (tops in the field) Sunday and played the par-5 holes at 3-under. After opening the round 2-over through three holes, she made four consecutive birdies starting on the par-5 fifth and made the turn at 2-under. 

She birdied the par-four 12th and par-three 15th before making bogey on 16.  However, Latorre birdied the par-five 18th to complete an effort that was 3 strokes better than her previous collegiate low set Mar. 31 at the John Kirk Panther Intercollegiate.

A Big South all-freshman team member, Latorre matched the 68s shot by Ann Maness of Coastal Carolina in 2006 and Brittany Henderson of Coastal in 2012 as the lowest rounds in Big South Championship history, which dates to 1989.

Yost, the 2-time Big South player of the year, made the turn at 6-under and finished at 3-under 69.  The senior from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., birdied the second, fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth and ninth holes. 

A junior from Waunakee, Wis., Brooks had five birdies on the day and like Yost, played the par-4 holes at 2-under, best in the field.  A 3-time All-Big South performer, Brooks finished her round with a birdie on the par-five 18th.

Ravnjak's solid round included 14 pars (tied for second-best in the 45-golfer field).  Her second birdie of the day came on the par-three 17th hole.  White's 2-over 74 included birdies on the par-three fifteenth as well as the 18th in an even-par back nine.

In addition to matching the Big South 18-hole individual record, Latorre equaled the school mark for lowest round in a conference championship event.  Sharon O'Neill shot 68 in the 202 Atlantic Sun Championship (on a par-73 layout), while Sarah Bejgrowicz also carded a 68 during the 2010 A-Sun Championship.

Campbell will tee off with Coastal Carolina and High Point at 9:40 a.m. in Monday's second round.  The final round is Tuesday. 

Big South Conference Women's Golf Championship
The Patriot at Grand Harbor / Ninety Six, S.C.
Apr. 13-15, 2014 / Par 72, 6083 Yards

First Round Team Results: 1. Campbell 278, 2. Coastal Carolina 297, 3. High Point 301, 4. Gardner-Webb 306, 5. Presbyterian 309, T6. Charleston Southern 310, T6. Winthrop 310, 8. Radford 311, 9. Longwood 316.

First Round Individual Leaders (Top 10): 1. Louise Latorre (Campbell) 68, T2. Lisbeth Brooks (Campbell) 69, T2. Kaylin Yost (Campbell) 69, 4. Lena Schaeffner (Coastal Carolina) 71, T5. Grier Bennett (High Point) 72, T5. Julia Henderson (Gardner-Webb) 72, T5. Tahnia Ravnjak (Campbell) 72, 8. Frida Castillo (Coastal Carolina), T9. Danielle Fuss (High Point) 74, T9. Shelby Thompson (Charleston Southern) 74, T9. Nadine White (Campbell) 74.