MU Women's Golfers Win WSA Team Award

ATLANTA, Ga. – Mercer University women's golfers Kimmy Graff and Mary Alice Murphy earned the team trophy at the Women's Southern Amateur championships on Tuesday, firing a combined score of 147. The team trophy is a perpetual trophy awarded for combined low gross scores of two qualifiers from the same college or university. 

Graff qualified for the Championship Flight by shooting a 2-over par 72 while Murphy made it into the Championship Flight by shooting a score of 75. These two competitors outscored 32 other college players to win the award.

"It is always nice to be recognized for stellar play and to win a perpetual trophy is extra sweet," MU head coach Gary Guyer said.

In the second day of match play on Wednesday, Murphy went up against medalist winner Calle Nielsen. Nielsen, a graduating senior from the University of Virginia, started quickly by getting a three-up start over Murphy after five holes. Nielsen picked up one more hole on No. 8. But at that point, Murphy caught fire and birdied No. 9, aced No. 10 and birdied No. 11 to get her back into the match, one down. However, Nielsen posted some birdies of her own down the stretch and closed out Murphy on the 16^th hole for a 3 & 2 victory.

"I was a little nervous at first and you just can't let a player like Calle get a 3-up lead," Murphy commented. "I finally got it together on the back nine and was three-under par when Calle closed me out on #16. I had to make a hole-in-one on #10 to beat her birdie. She just scored better than me and I played well."

"When I saw Mary Alice birdie the first hole and Calle rolled in a putt to tie, I knew this was going to be a good match. Mary Alice started missing some greens and Calle took advantage of it," Guyer said. "On the back, Mary Alice got it together and her ace on the 10^th hole was beautiful. She was 4-under on three holes and played great the rest of the way in. Calle just scored better."

Graff went up against a tough player in A-Sun Conference foe Ket Preamchuen from Kennesaw State. Premchuen got out to a fast start. Graff fought back and was one-down through six holes. On hole No. 7 Graff, stripped her tee-shot down the middle while Preamchuen pulled her shot left into a group of trees, looking a green with a 6-foot ridge in the middle of it and the flag on top of the ridge. Preamchuen hit a low slinger up the ridge and it stopped three feet from the hole, while Graff's shot just caught the ridge and rolled down to the front of the green. Preamchuen made her putt for birdie to go two-up.

On hole No. 8 both, both players had great tee-shots and Preamchuen stuck her approach shot to six feet. Not to be outdone, Graff promptly deposited a wedge into the hole for an eagle.

"I had been hitting solid shots all day and Ket was answering me every time," Graff explained. "I decided to start shooting at the flag and it went it."

But Preamchuen kept her birdie barrage going on the back nine and eventually defeated Graff 4 & 3.