Grier Bennett Sets Career Lows As HPU Women’s Golf Finishes In Eighth At The Terrier Intercollegiate

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The High Point University women’s golf team shot 309 for the second-straight day to finish eighth at the Terrier Intercollegiate with a combined team score of 618 on Tuesday in Spartanburg, S.C. Sophomore Grier Bennett once again led the Panthers, tying her career-lowt with a one-over 73 on the day.

“We saw a lot of good things over the past two days,” head coach Vici Pate Flesher said. “I feel like we are just scratching the surface of what we are capable of. We didn’t have any blowups and everyone played smart golf most of the time. We need to work on our technique a bit and our freshmen are still getting acclimated. Overall it takes five good players to make a good team and we just need a couple people to step up to really become a good team.”

Bennett finished the Terrier tied for sixth with a two-day score of 147 (74-73). The sophomore was tied for second in the tournament with seven birdies over 36 holes. Her sixth-place finish and 36-hole score are both new career-lows.

Freshman Tan Cheeranont turned in her second-straight score of 77 to finish her first collegiate tournament in a tie for 21st with a 36-hole total of 154 (77). Senior Audra McShane shot a second-round 80 and finished in a tie for 32nd with a score of 157 (77-80). Freshman Casey Ward shaved a stroke off her first-round score with a second-round 80 and finished in a tie for 50h with a two-round score of 161 (81-80). Junior Margaret Suchan recovered from an opening round 87 with a 79 on Tuesday to finish in a tie for 63rd with a total score of 166.

UNC Pembroke shot a second-round 294 to move up and claim the team championship with a total combined score of 595. Day-one leader Gardner-Webb finished in second with a score of 597 while UNC Wilmington (602), Wofford (604) and Mercer (605) rounded out the top five.

Gardner-Webb’s Mary K. Donovan shot a 75 on the day and earned the individual medal with a two-round score of 143, one-under par. Donovan won by one stroke over Anne Marie Covar of Wofford and Mary Alice Murphy of Mercer.

The Panthers are off next week before returning to action at the Highlander Invitational on Sunday, Sept. 23. The tournament is a one-day, 36-hole event and will be hosted by Radford at the Draper Valley Golf Club in Draper, Va.