Mercer University
Barefoot at the Beach
Bears Climb to 11th on Final Day of Barefoot at the Beach Invitational
3/8/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
MRTYLE BEACH, S.C. – The Mercer women's golf team posted a team score of 309 on Tuesday, rising from a 13th place position to an 11th place finish on the final day of the Barefoot at the Beach Invitational. Freshman Lacey Fears led the team with a 73 (+1) as the Bears overtook both Appalachian State and Marshall in the team standings.
Mercer's three-round total of 950 slotted the team five strokes behind Georgetown for top-10 on the team leaderboard. East Carolina bested second place Wisconsin by nine strokes to capture the event title with a cumulative total of 891.
Both Fears and her classmate, Mary Alice Murphy, finished the event with 54-hole scores of 234. Fears and Murphy represented Mercer's top finishers and were two of five competitors that tied for 32nd place in the individual standings.
Fears' 73 on Tuesday marked Mercer's best 18-hole score at the event and showed the freshman's ability to bounce back after a challenging round. Tuesday's total reflected an 11-stroke improvement upon her second-round 84.
Murphy's 234 came by way of a 78 in Tuesday's final round. Her 78 paired with a 79 and a 77 in the first and second rounds, respectively.
Like Murphy, sophomore Kimmy Graff showed steady consistency at the tournament. After opening with an 80 in the first round, Graff improved by one stroke in both her second and third rounds. Graff's three-round total of 237 placed her in a tie for 47th place overall.
Junior Keri Lynn Carson signed for an 82 on Tuesday, giving the Thomaston, Ga. native a final score of 247 and placing her 64th. Sophomore Aurelie Wiriath capped her play at the event with an 80 and completed three rounds with a score of 258.
Mercer's next tournament is the University of Cincinnati Spring Invitational at the Plantation Inn Golf Course in River, Fla. The three-day event is scheduled for March 25-27.
Players Mentioned
