With regulars Nicole Smith and Diana Cantu missing, the Tennessee women's golf team did not even have its "A" lineup Friday in the Mercedes-Benz Women's Collegiate Championships.

However, it definitely had its "A" game.

With 3-under-par 69s by Ginny Brown and Lauren Spurlock, the Lady Vols are the surprising leaders after the first round at Fox Den Country Club.

Aided by a 72 from Rebecca Watson and a 73 from Nathalie Mansson, the Lady Vols are at 5-under 283, six strokes ahead of second-place North Carolina in the 18-team field. North Carolina State is in third at 290, and LSU is at 291.

Freshman Emily Sills rounded out the scoring for the Lady Vols with an 86, although her round did not count in the team standings.

Smith is out with a shoulder injury and Canto is representing Mexico in the World Amateur this week.

Lady Vols coach Judi Pavon was pleased but not surprised to be doing well.

"This is how they have been playing in practice, but they haven't been able to carry it over to the tournaments," she said. "So it was so nice that it (the hard work) paid off for them."

Both Brown and Spurlock easily had their best collegiate rounds, as did Watson. Spurlock was amazed at the results.

"It is hard to describe because I wasn't thinking much," she said. "It all just happened."

Brown said she was nervous before the round but did not let her feelings bother her.

"I was really proud of myself because usually when I get nervous, I fall back," she said.

Pavon knows two more grueling rounds remain, adding that the Lady Vols also started out well in the Cougar Classic in Charleston, S.C., in September, but faltered.

"We have been in this position, so you never know," Pavon said. "But it is better being on this end of the field."

Brown and Spurlock are tied for fourth along with Katie Ackerman of SMU and Dori Carter of Ole Miss. They trail leaders Lauren Doughtie of N.C. State, Sydney Crane of North Carolina and Marika Lendl of Central Florida by one stroke.

Doughtie is playing in her first tournament in Tennessee, but this is not her first time in the spotlight. Earlier this year, she won both her qualifiers for the U.S. Women's Open at Interlachen in Minnesota.

The senior and reigning Virginia Women's Amateur champion said she missed the cut, but did have a positive experience playing a practice round with Annika Sorenstam.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.