Women’s Golf Swings Into Action At Lake Oconee Invitational

Duane Zehr, Bradley University ITPS

Live Scoring

Women's Golf 2/15/2019 10:00:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Women's Golf opens the 2019 Spring schedule at the Reynolds Lake Oconee Invitational in Greensboro, Ga., Saturday and Sunday, marking the first trip in program history to state of Georgia.

The Braves wrapped up a strong fall season back in mid-October with a second-place showing at the Missouri Valley Conference Preview in Chesterton, Ind., and return from a four-month break to open the spring season this week. The Lake Oconee Invitational marks the earliest Bradley will open its spring schedule since starting the 2014 spring slate at the Mid-American Match Play Championship in Lakewood, Fla., Feb. 3 & 4.

The Lake Oconee Invitational features the strongest field to date for the Braves in 2018-19, with the 17-team tournament featuring nine teams listed in the top 100 of the latest Golfweek.com rankings highlighted by #5 Vanderbilt. The field also includes #50 Texas Tech, #65 Missouri, #69 Kentucky, #72 Mercer, #87 Rutgers, #83 East Tennessee State, #97 Chattanooga and #99 Eastern Kentucky.

Play at Reynolds Lake Oconee's par-72 The National begins Saturday with an 8 a.m. (CST) shotgun start with the first round played on the Ridge and Bluff courses. The team's will play 27 holes each day, with the second round being played on the Ridge and Cove courses. Sunday's action gets underway at 8 a.m. (CST) with the final half of the second round immediately followed by the third and final round on the Bluff and Cove courses. BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live scoring via Golfstat.com for all three rounds.

Junior Megan Medinger owned the top stroke average for the Braves in the fall, posting a 76.83 average. Bradley's top finisher in two of four events, she finished fifth at the Cardinal Classic in mid-September and wrapped up the fall at the MVC Preview, where she tied for 13th. Medinger had a team-best six rounds of 75 or better during the fall season.

Fellow junior Taylor Ledwein paced Bradley at the MVC Preview, tying for fourth individually for her ninth career top-10 finish. Ledwein owned the team's top average over the final two tournaments of the fall (77.33) and her 76.92 average for the fall was second on the squad. She matched a career-best with a 68 in the second round of the Golfweek Program Challenge to open the 2018 Fall schedule.

Senior Frankie Saban also wrapped up the fall on a strong note, finishing sixth at the MVC Preview. Saban was among Bradley's top two finishers in three of four events during the fall and enters her final semester with a 77.00 stroke average. Saban has been one of Bradley's top three finishers in 16 of the last 17 tournaments dating back to the spring of her sophomore season.

Senior Brooke Thompson played in three of four fall tournaments and was close behind Saban with a 77.11 average in the fall. She fired a season-best 74 in the second round of the Johnie Imes Invitational in her last outing.

Rounding out the Bradley lineup will be freshman Elyse Emerzian, with Oconee Invitational marking her debut as a Brave.

After opening the spring in Georgia, Bradley makes its annual trip to Arizona next week for the Rio Verde Invitational in Rio Verde, Ariz., Feb. 22-24.

Print Friendly Version