Women’s Golf Finishes 13th at Lady Jaguar Intercollegiate

J. Andrew Lockwood
Senior Editor / Columnist

Freshman Kimmy Graff overcame a rough start in Augusta to help lead her team to a 13th place finish at the Administaff Lady Jaguar Intercollegiate. As a team, Mercer finished three strokes ahead of UAB with a combined 326 in the final round to move up in the standings as they prepare for the Atlantic Sun tournament in Florida that is less than a month away.

After firing a 90 in her first round, Graff turned things around quickly in her next two rounds, recording a 76 and 77 in route to a tie for 50th overall. With an eagle on the sixth hole, Graff became one of four players in the tournament to score the shot during the three rounds. Despite a double-bogey on her final hole, Graff would lead the Bears during the final day with a 77 (+5). Graff’s final two rounds and Alex Quagliata’s 78 would be the only three rounds in the 70s for the Bears during the tournament.

Graff and her teammates indicated that the greens on the course were unusually slippery and that the ball experienced more movement than expected during putts, leading to the higher scores.

Freshman Aurelie Wiriath would be the Bear’s second-best finisher for the tournament (82, 82, 84) to finish in a tie for 57th overall. Seniors Alex Quagliata (86, 78, 85), Monica Kelsey (87, 84, 80), and Carolyn Levy (85, 86, 86) rounded out the team score card for Mercer as senior Kathryn Cook played as an individual during the tournament.

Coastal Carolina pulled an upset win in garnering the team title, recording a 891 over the three day even to edge the favored Augusta State Lady Jaguars. Mercer would finish a ways back in the field at a combined 986 overall. The Bears now head to Ocala for the MSU Women’s Intercollegiate in a final tune-up for the A-Sun Championship held at the Venetian Bay golf course in New Smyrna, Florida.