SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Junior Breanne Neufeld (Coaldale, Alberta/Coaldale) took second at the season-opening Payne Stewart Memorial and helped the Bradley Women's Golf team to a fifth place finish at the par-72 Rivercut Golf Course Tuesday.
Neufeld and the Braves had their second round cut short Monday afternoon because of thunderstorms in the Springfield, Mo., area, but resumed second-round play Tuesday morning and followed up with the third and final round Tuesday afternoon.
The delay didn't impact Neufeld, as she shot an even par-72 in both the second and third rounds to tie Arkansas State's Jennifer Welch for the individual lead following 54 holes at 219. Welch (72-71-76) claimed medalist honors, defeating Neufeld (75-72-72) on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff.
The Braves improved their score each of the three rounds (315-309-301) culminating with a third-round score of 301. The 301 was the best round for Bradley since firing a 299 in the first round of the Saluki Invitational on March 30, 2008.
Sophomore Kelly Amundrud (Calgary, Alberta/Strathcona Tweedsmuir) rebounded from an opening round 82 Monday, to shoot 76 and 75 Tuesday as she tied for 22nd at 233. Junior Caitlin Deeken (California, Mo./California) tied with sophomore Keegan Ryan (Groveland, Ill./Morton) for 36th at 237, after rounds of 79 and 75 Tuesday. Ryan carded scores of 82 and 80 to wrap up play.
Freshman Natalie Wisniewski (Williamsville, N.Y./South) improved her score each round firing 82 and 79 Tuesday following her first collegiate round of 84. Wisniewski was eight shots behind Deeken and Ryan in a tie for 53rd (245). Sophomore Erin Gorman (Rockford, Ill./Boylan) also improved each round of play, shooting a second-round 84 and matching a career-best with a third round 80 to tie for 63rd overall at 250.
Tournament-host Missouri State shot a two-over par 290 in the third round to claim the team title with a score of 901. Arkansas State was 11 shots back of the Bears in second place at 912 and was followed by Central Arkansas in third at 916. Drake finished four shots ahead of the Braves in fourth at 921, while Bradley finished fifth at 925 (315-309-301). Texas A&M Corpus Christi was sixth in the team standings at 933, while Southern Illinois claimed seventh (940).
South Dakota State and Oklahoma City both shot 941 to tie for eighth and UMKC rounded out the top 10 at 945. Northern Iowa (957) was 29 shots better than 12th-place Creighton (986), while SIU Edwardsville (13th - 995), Cal State Fullerton (14th - 1001) and South Dakota (15th - 1070) rounded out the field, respectively.
Bradley returns to action Oct. 5 & 6 at the Johnie Imes Invitational in Columbia, Mo.
