Oklahoma in 12th after 18 at SEC Championship

BELLEAIR, Fla. – After one round at its first SEC Championship, Oklahoma sits just five shots back of the top-eight cut, finishing Monday in a tie for 12th at the par-70 Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla.

Oklahoma (T12, +8) shares 12th with three other teams, as 10 of the league's 16 squads are separated by just six shots heading into Tuesday's second round. Following stroke play on Tuesday and Wednesday, the top eight teams will advance to match play. Quarterfinals and semifinals are set for Thursday, with the championship match on Friday.

Savannah Barber (T16, -1) was the lone Sooner under par after carding a 69. The junior shot 1-over on the front nine before making three birdies and a bogey on the back to post one of just 20 rounds in red figures.

Reagan Chaney (T30, +1) followed with a 71, using a three-birdie stretch around the turn to post a strong opening-round score.

Freshman Audrey Rischer (T48, +3), coming off her first career win at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, led OU with four birdies but was held back by a pair of doubles and three bogeys.

Juniors Gracie Mayo (T62, +5) and MaKayla Tyrrell (T75, +10) rounded out the Sooners' lineup, both finishing outside the top 60 on a crowded leaderboard.

No. 4 South Carolina took early control of the team race, firing a 14-under 266 to build a nine-shot lead. No. 11 LSU (-5), No. 14 Auburn (-4), No. 18 Ole Miss (-1) and No. 6 Texas (-1) completed the top five, as just five teams posted under-par rounds. Ten of the nation's top 25 teams in the latest national rankings are in the SEC, with two more, including No. 36 Oklahoma, inside the top 40.

Individually, Auburn's Anna Davis and South Carolina's Eila Galitsky and Hannah Darling share the lead at 5-under.

The Sooners tee off at 8:10 a.m. CT in Tuesday's second round along with Vanderbilt and Georgia.

Live scoring will be available on Golfstat.

Full Team Leaderboard

1. South Carolina (-14)
2. LSU (-5)
3. Auburn (-4)
T4. Ole Miss (-1)
T4. Texas (-1)
6. Florida (+2)
T7. Tennessee (+3)
T7. Mississippi State (+3)
---- CUT LINE ----
9. Texas A&M (+4)
T10. Kentucky (+6)
T10. Alabama (+6)
T12. Oklahoma (+8)
T12. Arkansas (+8)
T12. Vanderbilt (+8)
T12. Missouri (+8)
16. Georgia (+26)