ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) -- Kaeli Jones is one stroke off the lead after one round at the UCF Challenge, which got under way at Eagle Creek Sunday. Jones and her teammates are tied for sixth after the first round and are just six strokes behind the leaders.
Jones opened wtih a bogey, but her next 14 holes included five birdies and nine pars. She was 4-under and leading the tournament through 16 holes. A pair of bogeys in her final three holes dropped her back to 2-under for the day. But it was still good enough to be in a tie for second place. Jones sits just one stroke behind East Carolina's Dorthea Forbrigd, who used an eagle on No. 16 to edge Jones for the first-round lead. Jones' five birdies Sunday were the most of the 90 entrants in the tournament. Jones was also tied for the best score on the course's Par 4 holes (-2) with Forbrigd.
Iowa State and ECU are tied for the team lead after carding scores of 293 (+5) in breezy conditions. Miami (295, +7), Wisconsin and Tulane (297, +9) are the only teams in front of UCF (299, +11). The Knights are tied with Auburn for sixth place.
Nicolette Donovan and Anna Hack are tied for 34th for UCF. That duo each carded a round of 76 (+4). Donovan tallied one of the five eagles recorded Sunday.
Ana Laura Collado rounded out the Knights' team score in the first round with a 5-over 77 and is tied for 50th. Kayla Kozak was also in the lineup, but her 79 (+7, tie for 73rd) did not count toward the team score. Chinatsu Kobayashi is playing as an individual and is tied for 62nd after carding a 78 (+6).
Monday's second round gets under way at 8:45 a.m. with a shotgun start. Tuesday's third and final round will also get started at 8:45 with a shotgun start.