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Highlands Today

Cold Morning Win Resulted In Higher Scores At Annual Invite

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Jen Lochhead of Burlington, Ontario tees off on hole No. 13 during the opening round of the 53rd annual Harder Hall Women's Invitational on Thursday.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: January 4, 2008

SEBRING — Frigid temperatures and a bitter wind was the subject of conversation during day one of the 53rd annual Harder Hall Women's Invitational on Thursday.

"These were really tough conditions to play in today," said Daniela Lendl of Bradenton after finishing her round. "The wind really picked up in the late morning and forced me to club up."

With the temperature dipping down to 30 degrees and a wind chill around 10 degrees at the 7:30 a.m. tee off, the unusual weather added stroke after stroke to the competitors' scores, with many shots sailing out of bounds after being kissed by the frigid wind.

Many of the golfers were bundled up to fend off the elements during the first day of the prestigious 72-hole, four-day tournament. Spirits were high despite the conditions, with the competitive fire keeping the golfers comfortable.

"We're just trying to keep warm in between shots," Garrett Phillips of St. Simons Island, Ga. said.

With temperatures forecasted to be in the 70s for the remainder of the tournament, golfers were trying to just keep their head above water on this first day.

Stacy Lewis, the 2005 invitational champion, finished the day with a 74 with the first wave of golfers taking four-plus hours to complete the challenging course.

Tournament leaders will have the late tee off today and will try to get back a few strokes lost to the weather and put some distance between them and the rest of the field heading into the weekend.

Look for complete coverage from the first two rounds of the invitational in Saturday's sports section as well as coverage through the weekend.

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