Red numbers filled up the leaderboard during the first round of the second annual Otter Creek Championship presented by Case Construction. The field of 144 battled against the heat and wind, but in the end, they were still able to produce some of the best rounds in tournament history. Isabella Fierro and Kelli Ann Strand both signed for a 7-under 65 to start their tournament, matching the 18-hole scoring record for the event.

Fierro set the pace in the morning, making back-to-back-to-back birdies on holes 12, 13, and 14 after starting on the back nine, to put her name near the top of the leaderboard early in the day. Two more birdies on holes 17 and 18 had the 24-year-old making the turn with a 5-under 31 and alone at the top of the leaderboard.

The second nine started to look similar to the first, with Fierro rolling in three straight birdies once again, but this time on holes 4, 5, and 6. She pushed the lead to 8-under, needing to par out to secure a new 18-hole scoring record for the Otter Creek Championship presented by Case Construction. A missed green on the approach to 18 set up a long putt from off the green that went about five feet past the hole. The slippery downhill putt broke more than the Mexico native thought, with the ball sliding just below the hole. The bogey to end the day was the only blemish on the card, but Fierro still is in a prime position heading into the weekend.

“I think I just followed my game plan there. It wasn't really windy this morning until like the back nine or our front nine,” said Fierro. “I didn't get myself in a lot of trouble. My wedge shots worked around the green. So, when I was missing greens, I was doing up and down. It was pretty solid overall.”

Strand had a number to chase by the time she teed off in the afternoon and actually made it more difficult for herself to reach it after starting her tournament with a bogey on hole 10. That was the only mistake of the day though, with Strand going bogey-free for the rest of the round and making four birdies before she made the turn. The second nine started hot, with the 21-year-old making three birdies in her first five holes. A string of pars followed before Strand rolled in one more birdie putt on her last hole of the day to match Fierro atop the leaderboard.

“It started out a little slow. Just kind of a mental error, I would say,” said Strad. “But after that, I kind of knew I needed to get back in the game and not let that spiral into more bogeys. So, I was able to par the next hole and then get some birdies after that. So yeah, I just made a few putts that I don't normally make, some longer ones.”

Jillian Hollis and Suzuka Yamaguchi both turned in rounds of 66 to sit one shot back of the leaders heading into round two. The second round will begin tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. local time. Follow along with live scoring here.

Fierro and Strand Match the 18-hole Tournament Scoring Record in Round One at the Otter Creek Championship

Related Articles