PEORIA, Ill. – Bradley Women's Golf will have its final tune-up before the Missouri Valley Conference Championship this weekend with the Braves heading to Murray, Ky., for the Jan Weaver Invitational hosted by Murray State Friday and Saturday.
Bradley will be playing in the Jan Weaver Invitational for the third time in four years with the Braves also participating in the event during the 2018-19 and 2017-18 seasons.
Play gets underway Friday with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start to the first two rounds and Saturday's final round will also feature an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start at the par-72 Miller Memorial Golf Course. Live scoring for all three rounds will be available at golfstat.com
One of three Missouri Valley Conference teams in the field, Bradley is joined by Evansville and Southern Illinois. The 13-team field also includes Ohio Valley Conference foes Austin Peay, Belmont, Eastern Kentucky, tournament-host Murray State and Tennessee Tech. In addition, Central Arkansas, Dayton, Georgia State, Samford and Seton Hall are scheduled to compete.
The Braves have finished in the top half of the field in each of the two previous times playing in the Jan Weaver Invitational, tying for fifth of 15 teams in 2018-19 after taking sixth of 14 teams in 2017-18. Four of the five Bradley individuals in the lineup have played at the Miller Memorial Golf Course.
Coming off her second career medalist title, senior Taylor Ledwein has placed in the top 10 in each of her two previous outings at the Jan Weaver Invitational. Ledwein, two tied for eighth in 2018-19 and tied for fifth in 2017-18, owns a 74.40 career stroke average at Miller Memorial with a low round of 70. She has fired a 74 or lower in three of her five career rounds at the course.
Mara Flaherty is the lone Brave in the lineup to not play at Miller Memorial, but is coming off a strong showing at the Diane Daugherty Invitational; where she tied for 18th overall. Flaherty's 77.63 stroke average is second on the team among individuals that have played at least five rounds behind Ledwein's team-best average of 76.38.
Megan Welch played in the 2018-19 Jan Weaver Invitational as an individual and opened the tournament with a pair of 79's. Welch had the low round of the day for the Braves in the final round of the Diane Daugherty Invitational last week with a three-over 75.
Elyse Emerzian also played as an individual in Bradley's last trip to Murray, Ky., tying for 25th overall in 2018-19. Emerzian owns a 77.80 stroke average on the year and wrapped up the 2018-19 Jan Weaver Invite with her lowest round of the year with a three-over 75.
Maddie Hawkins rounds out Bradley's lineup and has played in the Jan Weaver Invitational twice previously. Hawkins, who owns a 78.00 career stroke average in the event, tied for 16th overall as an individual in 2017-18.
Freshman Harriet Barker will be appearing in her second tournament as a Brave, playing as an individual this weekend. Barker made her Bradley debut in the Dual at Southern Illinois, where she tied for 10th at 154 (78-76).
The Braves follow up the Jan Weaver Invitational with the MVC Championship, which will be held April 19 & 20 at Bogey Hills Country Club in St. Charles, Mo.
