The Fairfield University women’s golf team opened the Hartford Women’s Invitational with a team score of 333, and is just six strokes off the lead, with one round to play.  The event is being played at the Rockledge Golf Course, which played par-72, 5,803-yards on Monday.

Courtney Richardson shot a first-round 80 to pace the Stags effort.  In a tie for fourth-place, she is three shots off the leader, Natalie Desjardins (77) of Long Island University.  Kristen MacDonald is in ninth place, with a first-round 83 on her card.  Alicia Esposito shot 42-42 to card an 84, good for a tie for 12th place.  Christiana Destefano is tied for 18th after one round, with an 86, while Annie Sperandio is tied for 29th with a first-round 93.

Albany is the team leader after the first round, shooting a 327, one stroke ahead of Sacred Heart, in second place.  The Stags are two strokes ahead of Central Connecticut State (335), LIU is next at 338, while host Hartford is sixth, with a 341.

The event will close with an 18-hole second round on Tuesday.