Fears paces female golfers to 3rd place mark in conference

Head coach Gary Guyer and sophomore Lacey Fears led the Mercer University women’s golf team to a third place finish at the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship.
Guyer’s squad was in the hunt for the title after posting a 298 in the opening round at the Venetian Bay Golf Course.  Mercer’s 298 was highlighted by sophomore Lacey Fears’ one-under 71, and had the Bears just eight strokes off the pace of tournament leader East Tennessee State.
Junior Aurelie Wiriath was tied for 10th overall with a 75, while sophomore Mary Alice Murphy and freshman Sarah Louise Brown both shot 76 and ended up tied for 15th.  Junior Kaitlin Marrin rounded out Mercer’s competitors with a 78 and was tied for 21st.
Coach Guyer praised his team for their play in the opening round. “We played well today and could have scored much, much better,” Mercer head coach Gary Guyer said. “The team is loose and having a lot of fun. That is really what it is all about and we’ve got two more days to catch some teams,” he added.
In the second round of play, Lacey Fears fired a collegiate career-low 70, propelling the Bears to third place on the team leader board.  Fears’ effort brought her 36-hole total to 141, tying her for second in the individual standings.
Sarah Louise Brown also set a career personal best in the second round, shooting 70 to move into a tie for eighth place overall.   Brown’s 70 came on the heels of a first round 76 and helped her move up from a tie for 15th after day one.
Mary Alice Murphy and Aurelie Wiriath were each tied for 13th place individually with tournament scores of 150.  Murphy signed for a 74, while Wiriath posted her second straight 75. Kaitlin Marrin used 79 strokes in the second round and was slotted in a tie for 26th overall with a score of 157.
The final day of play saw Lacey Fears fire an even-par 72, earning a spot in a sudden death playoff for the league’s individual title.  Ultimately, Fears was upended by East Tennessee State’s Gabriella Wahl for the individual championship, while Mercer wrapped up the competition with a third place team finish.
Sarah Louise Brown shot 74 on the final day to earn a ninth place finish.  Her 74 combined with scores of 76 and 70 in the first two rounds to give the Severna Park, Maryland product her second top-10 finish of the year.
Mary Alice Murphy finished the tournament with her best round, firing a one-over 73 to place 12th.  Murphy’s 56-hole score of 223 was one stroke better than teammate Aurelie Wiriath, who placed 13th with a final round 74.
Kaitlin Marrin wrapped up her showing at the A-Sun Championship with a final round 83.  Her cumulative score of 240 placed her 37thoverall.
The women’s golf team wrapped a successful campaign, and should contend for a title next year returning their top five golfers.