PEORIA, Ill. -- The Bradley women's golf team will spend spring break in Arizona, taking part in the 10th annual Rio Verde Invitational at the Rio Verde Country Club Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Braves will also play in the Desert Dual in Litchfield Park, Ariz., Thursday, March 15 during the squad's trip to the Grand Canyon State.
Bradley will be playing in the Rio Verde Invitational for the ninth consecutive year after finishing 15th in last year's tournament. Junior Kelly Amundrud (Calgary, Alberta/Strathcona Tweedsmuir) owns a 77.8 career stroke average in three previous trips to the Rio Verde Invitational and tied for 16th last spring, finishing with a 54-hole total of 230 (80-75-75).
Play at the par-71 Quail Run Course at the Rio Verde Country Club will begin Friday with a 2 p.m. (CST) shotgun start. Saturday's action is slated to tee off at 9 a.m. (CST) with Sunday's round scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. (CDT).
A link to live scoring for the Rio Verde Invitational will be available at BradleyBraves.com. Defending team champion Eastern Michigan is one of four teams ranked in the top 100 according to Golfweek.com in the field. The 16-team field also features Missouri Valley Conference rivals Missouri State and Wichita State.
The Braves are coming off back-to-back fifth place finishes and have had individuals claim Missouri Valley Conference Golfer of the Week honors following each of the last two outings.
Amundrud has finished in the top 20 in each of the last two events and leads the team with a 77.3 stroke average on the year. Freshman Thea Hedemann (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Walter Murray) is second on the team with a 77.7 stroke average and has averaged 76.5 per round in the last three tournaments.
Fellow freshman Christie Lin (Calgary, Alberta/Sir John G Diefenbaker) earned Valley Golfer of the Week honors after the Lady Islander Classic, finishing up play with a season-best, two-under par 70. Lin has shot five consecutive sub-80 rounds and leads the team with 17 rounds in the 70's.
Following the spring break trip to Arizona, Bradley hosts the Hotels at Grand Prairie Invitational at WeaverRidge Golf Club April 6 & 7.
