River Landing Classic On Tap For Women’s Golf

Duane Zehr

Live Scoring

Women's Golf 3/5/2020 10:30:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Women's Golf will compete in the state of North Carolina for the first time in program history, with the Braves returning to action at the River Landing Classic in Wallace, N.C., Monday and Tuesday in the team's first outing since opening the spring schedule at the Rio Verde Invitational (Feb. 21-23).

Coming off a ninth-place finish at the Rio Verde Invitational, Bradley has finished in the top half of the field in each of the squad's first six outings under first-year head coach Halley Morell. The Braves own the second-lowest team average round in the Missouri Valley Conference at 305.12 after BU's performance at Rio Verde.

Joining Bradley in the 12-team field at the River Landing Classic in addition to tournament-host UNC Wilmington are Boston, Charleston Southern, East Tennessee State, Georgia State, High Point, Jacksonville State, Marshall, Richmond, USC Upstate and Williams & Mary.

Play at the par-72 River Landing Golf Club will get under way Monday with a 7:45 a.m. (CDT) shotgun start to the opening day's two rounds. Tuesday's final round will feature an 8 a.m. (CDT) shotgun start. BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live scoring (golfstat.com) for all three rounds.

Sophomore Megan Welch earned her first career top-10 finish last time out at the Rio Verde Invitational, tying for ninth to pace the Braves as she wrapped up the event with a pair of 72's. The top-10 finish came on the heels of Welch earning her first career top-20 finish at the Little Rock Classic to close the fall schedule. She has posted a 74.33 stroke average over the last two tournaments, more than three strokes better than her season average.

Senior Taylor Ledwein has had a strong showing since returning from an injury which sidelined her for Bradley's first three fall tournaments. After a pair of second-place finishes to conclude the fall, Ledwein tied for 18th at Rio Verde at nine-over par 225. Ledwein, who will likely be playing her 100th career round Tuesday, has posted a conference-best 72.88 stroke average in her three outings this season.

Fellow senior Megan Medinger is one of just two Braves to play in all 17 rounds this season and is third on the team with a 77.47 stroke average. She has posted a 77.25 stroke average over her last eight rounds, with three rounds of 75 or better over that stretch.

Junior Maddie Hawkins will make her return to the lineup after missing Rio Verde with an injury. Hawkins was Bradley's top finisher at the MVC Preview in the fall and her 10-over 226 at the Little Rock Invitational to wrap up the fall schedule was her lowest 54-hole score of her career.

Freshman Mara Flaherty brings a 77.88 stroke average into the River Landing Classic and helps round out the Bradley lineup. Flaherty's season stroke average of 77.88 would rank as the fourth-best season average for a freshman in program history and would be the best scoring average for a BU rookie since Ledwein averaged 75.97 as a frosh in 2016-17.

The Braves will follow up the River Landing Classic with a near three-week break before heading to Daytona Beach, Fla., for the Babs Steffens Hatter Collegiate March 29 & 30.

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