PEORIA, Ill. -- The Bradley women's golf team returns to the course after almost two weeks off to take part in the 12th annual Payne Stewart Memorial, where senior Kelly Amundrud (Calgary, Alberta/Strathcona Tweedsmuir) will look to defend her medalist title at the par-72 Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield, Mo., Monday and Tuesday.
The Braves will take part in the Payne Stewart Memorial for the eighth time in the 12-year history of the event and will be playing in a tournament in the Springfield, Mo., area for the 13th time in the last 17 seasons.
Amundrud, who owns a 75.88 career stroke average in the Payne Stewart Memorial, claimed medalist honors at last year's event which was held at the par-72 Highland Springs Country Club. Bradley has finished in the top five in the tournament field each of the previous seven times in the Payne Stewart Memorial, including team titles in 2002-03 and 2000-01.
This year's field includes Missouri Valley Conference foes Creighton, Drake and Indiana State in addition to tournament-host Missouri State. The 11-team field also includes Drury, Houston Baptist, Stephen F. Austin, South Dakota, South Dakota State and UMKC. Play begins Monday with 36 holes and concludes with one round on Tuesday. Both days will feature 8:30 a.m. shotgun starts.
Amundrud has battled injuries during the fall, but leads the team in stroke average at 76.8 per round despite missing the season-opening Redbird Invitational. She has played in two tournaments at Rivercut Golf Course during her career, shooting 77 or better in four of five rounds and owning a 77.2 career stroke average at the venue.
Freshman Christie Lin (Calgary, Alberta/Sir John G Diefenbaker) has been Bradley's top finisher in two of her first three collegiate tournaments and has shot five consecutive rounds in the 70's. Lin is tied for the team lead with seven rounds in the 70's this year and is averaging 77.0 strokes per round over her last five efforts.
Fellow freshman Thea Hedemann (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Walter Murray) is second on the squad in stroke average behind Amundrud at 77.8 and is tied with Lin for the team lead with seven sub-80 rounds.
Amundrud opened last year's Payne Stewart Memorial with a one-under 71 and matched her career-best 54-hole total, shooting 221 to win the event by two shots. Bradley was fifth of 17 teams at last fall's Payne Stewart Memorial, finishing eight shots out of the top three.
The Braves have one tournament remaining on the fall schedule after the Payne Stewart Memorial. BU will travel to Fort Myers, Fla., for the Pat Bradley Invitational Oct. 23-25.
