Day 1 Results

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – After the first day of the LPGA International Xavier Invitational, the Mercer University women’s golf team finds itself right in the thick of things among the 14 participating teams. The Bears team carded an aggregate 312 on the day – good for seventh place – but is within seven strokes of second place in the tight field on the LPGA Legends Course.

“Our ladies played pretty well,” said MU head coach Gary Guyer. “I don’t think we played as well as we can, but it was not a bad round.”

Freshman Lacey Fears led the Bears by firing a five-over-par score of 77 on the 6,084 yard course. Fears had six birdies and is tied for 15^th place after Day No. 1. As good as her finish was, a hiccup at the 18^th hole – which was Fears’ ninth hole of the day after starting her round on the back nine – might have left her wondering how much higher she could have climbed and salivating for the next two rounds. “Hiccup” is probably an understatement, after being forced to swallow a nine on the par-4 hole that almost surely kept her off the first page of the leader board after the first day.

The rest of Guyer’s young lineup stayed close to keep the team in contention.  Freshman Mary Alice Murphy and sophomore Kaitlin Marrin had identical scores of 78 (with each also matching each other’s nine hole totals of 38-40). The tandem is tied for 19^th place in the 78-golfer field.

MU’s fourth finisher was junior Alicia Poole, who posted a 79. Mercer’s fifth score was an 81 from sophomore Aurelie Wiriath.

“The conditions are perfect,” said Guyer of the course and weather. “This is one of those tournaments where I see us getting better each day. We’ll just have to get after it.”

The Bears’ second round begins Saturday at 8:20 a.m.