ACWORTH, Ga. — On Monday afternoon, No. 25 Milligan University's women's golf program teed off the AAC/NAIA Direct Qualifier at the Governors Towne Club. The three-day, three-round tournament runs April 27-29 and serves as the conference's automatic qualifying event for the NAIA National Championship. Due to a late start, the opening round finished incomplete as players ran out of daylight. The Buffs currently sit in fourth place at +33, 11 strokes behind third-place Pikeville. Mallory TeVrucht is leading the way for Milligan in the top 10 at five-over-par in sixth place with two holes left to play.

TeVrucht's front nine consisted of a birdie on the par-five second hole, which was playing 1.55 strokes above par for the field and is the seventh-handicap hole on the course. Although she did not record another birdie on the front, four pars led her into the top 10 at 39 going into the turn. On the back nine, she strung together three pars in a row before a double bogey set her back. However, she fired in a birdie on the next hole and finished the day at 68 strokes with two holes still to play.

Madison Butler was swinging the stick well to start day one, managing three pars and two bogeys in the first five holes. She came away with a double bogey on the 444-yard, par-four seventh, but bounced back on the shorter 338-yard, par-four eighth with a birdie. She sat four-over-par at the turn after carding a 40 on the front. On holes 10 through 12, she had three consecutive bogeys, but mitigated the damage with a birdie on the 15th. She finished the day at a nine-over 81 for T-16th.

Tessa Wilck managed a tough front nine that was playing an average of 11.89 strokes above par for the field, shooting a five-over-par 41 on the front to keep her name in contention. On the back nine, she carded four pars in eight holes before play was canceled due to lack of daylight. After 16 holes, she sits at seven-over-par 79 in 20th place.

Catalina Easley also finished the front nine at five-over-par, carding four pars and five bogeys en route to a total of 41 at the turn. She limited any scores above bogey to stay in the top 20. Although she has two holes remaining on the back nine, she sits in 18th place at 10-over-par, looking to make a push on day two.

Bailey McGaha, who has been playing well of late, was consistent on the front nine with five pars. However, she struggled with a double bogey and a triple bogey that damaged her scorecard, and she went into the back nine at six-over-par after a 42 on the front. She remained steady on the back nine, with a quadruple bogey on the 13th the only hole she played over par. Otherwise, she put together a consistent effort with four pars and a birdie in her other seven back-nine holes. She sits in T-16th at 73 strokes with two holes left to play on the round.

The Lady Buffs will look to make a push up the leaderboard when they return to the links tomorrow afternoon for round two.