Mercer University
Atlantic Sun Championship
Bears Place Third at A-Sun Championship; Fears Falls in Playoff for Individual Title
4/11/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
NEW SYMRNA BEACH, Fla. – Mercer sophomore Lacey Fears fired an even-par 72 in Wednesday's final round of the Atlantic Sun Women's Golf Championship, earning a spot in a sudden death playoff for the league's individual title. Ultimately, Fears was upended by East Tennessee State's Gabriella Wahl for the individual championship, while Mercer wrapped up the competition with a third place team finish.
Mercer's final round score of 293 brought the team's tournament score to 880 and slotted the squad five strokes behind ETSU. Kennesaw State won the championship with a three-day total of 871, earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Regional Tournament.
Mercer outpaced Stetson by ten strokes, while Jacksonville (926), Belmont (932), Florida Gulf Coast (939), Lipscomb (951) and USC Upstate (954) rounded out the field. Mercer's third place finish tied a program-best showing at the league playoff, equaling the 2007 team that also finished third.
Fears' 213 was a career-best three-round total and helped her earn all-tournament honors, joining Wahl, Kennesaw State's Ket Preamchuen and Ines Lescudier and Stetson's Alex Buelow on the all-tournament team. Fears' 213 was also the program's best showing at the event, besting Monica Kelsey's 222 in the 2010 championship.
Fears' performance at the event was powered by a career-low 70 in Tuesday's second round, which helped her enter the final round in a tie for second. On the final day of competition, her even-par 72 was one stroke better than Wahl and lifted her to a sudden death playoff for individual medalist honors.
The first hole of the playoff saw both Fears and Wahl card birdies on the 504-yard par-five first hole. From there, the competitors went to the second hole, playing at a 373-yard par-four layout. Both competitors' tee shots when awry, with Fears landing in a fairway bunker.
Wahl was able to knock her second shot on the green, while Fears' second stroke landed 25 yards left of the green. From there, Wahl two-putted her way to the tournament victory.
Mercer freshman Sarah Louie Brown shot 74 on the final day to earn a ninth place finish. Her 74 combined with scores of 76 and 70 in the first two rounds to give the Severna Park, Maryland product her second top-10 finish of the year.
Sophomore Mary Alice Murphy finished the tournament with her best round on Wednesday, firing a 1-over 73 to place 12th. Murphy's 56-hole score of 223 was one stroke better than teammate Aurelie Wiriath, who placed 13th with a final round 74.
Junior Kaitlin Marrin wrapped up her showing at the A-Sun Championship with a final round 83. Her cumulative score of 240 placed her 37th overall.
Players Mentioned
