OWENSBORO, Ky. – The McKendree University women's golf team opened up play here Saturday in its final event of its 2022 fall schedule by shooting a 326 as a team to sit in fifth place out of nine teams following the first round of the Kentucky Wesleyan College Fall Invitational held at The Pearl Club.
 
McKendree holds a one shot lead over Lewis (327) and trails fourth place Trevecca Nazarene by two shots (322). Davenport University and Quincy University are tied overall for first after the opening round as each team shot a 317, while Drury is third after shooting a 319 on Saturday.
 
Leading the way for the Bearcats in Saturday's opening round was sophomore Imogen Rafferty (Derbyshire, England/Trent College) as she shot an opening round 77 to sit in sixth place overall.
 
Rafferty is six shots behind opening round leader, Ahja Crosby from Davenport, who shot a 1-under par 71. Crosby leads by two shots over Quincy's Lily Vardeman, who shot a 1-over par 71 in the first round.
 
In addition to Rafferty, graduate student Rachael Kell (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) shot an opening round score of 78 to sit in a tie for eighth place.
 
The third counter for the Bearcats on Saturday was freshman Sarah Capel (Marion, Ill./Marion), who shot an opening round 85 to sit in a tie for 23rd place.
 
Junior Martina Hicks (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho/Coeur d'Alene) shot an 86 in the first round to sit in a tie for 29th place.
 
The fifth and final Bearcat golfer on Saturday was graduate student Paige Hamel (Glen Carbon, Ill./Rend Lake College), who shot an opening round 88 to sit in a tie for 35th place.
 
McKendree also sent an individual golfer to the event as sophomore Dylan Kirchoff (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township), who shot an opening round 82 to sit in a tie for 19th place.
 
The Bearcats and the other nine teams will complete the event with a final 18 holes on Sunday, Oct. 30 with a shotgun start beginning at 9:30 a.m.