TSU Tigers Finish Season, Tenth at OVC Championships

MUSCLE SHOALS, Alabama -- For the second round in a row the Tennessee State women’s golf team cut strokes off their previous round at the Ohio Valley Conference Championships. TSU shot a 350 on the final round, shaving seven strokes from Tuesday’s round. The teams played under perfect conditions as the day reached a high of 72 with seven MPH winds, under sunny skies at the Par-72, 6,203 yard Fighting Joe course at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals.

 

The Tigers (359-357-350=1,066) closed out the 2013-14 season finishing 10th, as they posted the lowest TSU score at an OVC Championship. Their previous best was a 1,084 at GreyStone Golf Club in 2011.

 

Murray State (307-298-310=915) charged back on the final day from six strokes back to claim the team championship over Eastern Kentucky (295-304-318=917). The Racers Delaney Howson (71-68-73=212) claimed individual honors finishing 4-under for the tournament.

 

Photo courtesy of Tennessee State Athletics

Kelly Merkel (91-82-84=257) led the way for TSU for the second consecutive round. The sophomore carded eight pars with 11 fairways, nine greens and 38 putts.

 

Natalie Spicer (95-90-87=272) entered the clubhouse on Wednesday with eight pars. Spicer needed 37 putts as she hit six greens. The freshman hit 10-of-14 fairways during the final round and finished with 35-of-42 over the three-day event.

 

Laura Bremer (98-91-89=278) lowered her score for the second consecutive round by hitting 10 fairways and six greens on her way to nine pars on the day. Bremer registered eight between holes No. 3 and No. 13. The sophomore-transfer hit out of a fairway bunker on the par-4, 8th, to 12 feet past the pin. Bremer sank the downhill putt to save par. Bremer, once again found a fairway bunker off the tee box. The Metropolis, Ill., product punched out horizontally, leaving her 150 yards to the pin. Bremer stuck her third shot on the green just to the left of the flag, setting up a 17-footer to salvage a par.

 

The lone birdie of the day for the Tigers was recorded by Amelia Dap (90-96-90=276). The sophomore used a 3-wood off the tee on the par-4, 2nd, leaving just under 150-yards to the flag. Dap then landed nine feet from the hole as she hit a 7-iron into the wind. The Murfreesboro native needed just one putt to secure the birdie.

 

On No. 2, Sarah Needleman (83-94-98=275) overshot the green, but came back on a chip, just missing a hole-out. Needleman secured a par by draining a 16-foot uphill putt. The sophomore started the day off with four pars over the first six holes, but would finish with just five on the day. Needleman finished the OVC Championships 20 strokes better than her freshman season, as she hit 11 fairways and six greens.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION