Mercer University
JU Classic
Mercer Claims JU Classic Title; Fears Finishes First
2/7/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mercer sophomore Lacey Fears put the finishing touches on a stellar three-day performance at the Jacksonville University Classic, firing a 76 in Tuesday's final round to capture the event's individual championship. As a team, the Bears shot 301 in the final round at the Hidden Hills Country Club and finished the event 17 strokes ahead of the next closest team.
Mercer's 56-hole total of 908 gave the team its second tournament title of the year after winning its own Eat a Peach Collegiate on September 19, 2011. Host Jacksonville placed second with a team score of 925. Daytona State (940), Florida Gulf Coast (942), USC Upstate (958) and Florida Atlantic (961) rounded out the six-team field.
"We started out slow today but the girls fought back and finished strong," Mercer head coach Gary Guyer said. "This team is good at closing the deal."
Mercer led the tournament field in par-three scoring (3.18), par-four scoring (4.36), par-five scoring (5.08), birdies (27) and pars (161).
Fears' 76 on Tuesday combined with a 71 and a 73 in the opening two rounds and helped her edge teammate Aurelie Wiriath for the individual top spot. Wiriath stormed into second place after carding a collegiate career-best 69 on Tuesday. Her 69 was a 10-stoke improvement on her second-round total and gave her a tournament score of 222.
Wiritath's 69 tied a tournament record for lowest 18-hole score and helped her elevate from a tie for sixth to second place.
Sophomore Mary Alice Murphy and freshman Sarah Louise Brown each fired 78's on the final day. Murphy landed in a tie for eighth place with a score of 231 while Brown tied for 17th overall with a 239.
Junior Kaitlin Marrin joined USC Upstate sophomore Rachel Lewis in a tie for 15th place with a total of 238. Marrin booked scores of 76, 83 and 79 in three rounds.
Mercer's team finish marked the sixth time Guyer has led the Bears to a tournament title since taking reigns of the program in the spring of 2007.
Mercer returns competitive play on February 26th at the Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic. That event will be contested over three days at the Cougar Point Golf Club in Kiawah Island, S.C.
