BOLIVAR, Mo. – The McKendree University women's golf team continued its 2022-23 season here Monday by shooting a 320 for 18 holes as a team to sit in a sixth place out of 15 teams following the first round of the Lady Panther Invitational hosted by Drury University and held at Silo Ridge Country Club.
The Bearcats are three shots behind fourth place Winona State and Missouri Southern State, who each shot 317 in the first round, while being one shot in front of both Truman State, Evangel and Quincy, who each shot scores of 321 for 18 holes.
Drury and Christian Brothers sits atop the leaderboard as the Lady Panthers are sitting tied atop the leaderboad as each team shot a score of 308 for 18 holes. Illinois-Springfield sits in third place after carding a 313 for 18 holes.
Leading the way for the Bearcats is graduate student
Rachael Kell (Nashville, Ill./Maryville University), who shot a three-over par 75 to sit in a five-way tie for second place after the opening round. Kell and four other players are one shot behind first round leader, Evangel's Katelyn Swope, who shot an opening round 2-over par 74.
Kell was tied for second in field of 89 golfers in pars with 14 and was tied for tournament lead in par-4 scoring as she played the Silo Ridge's par-4 holes at even-par as she averaged 4.00 on those holes.
In fact, 14 players are sitting within four shots of the top of the individual leaderboard heading into Tuesday's final round of 18 holes.
Along with Kell, freshman
Sarah Capel (Marion, Ill./Marion) shot an opening round score of 81 to sit in a tie for 35 place. Capel had 11 pars on her scorecard and played the par-3 holes at 1-over par as she averaged 3.25 on those holes.
Sophomore
Imogen Rafferty (Derbyshire, England/Trent College) and sophomore
Dylan Kirchoff (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) each shot a first round score 82 to sit in a tie for 44th place.
The fifth and final golfer for the Bearcats team was fifth-year senior
Madeline Larouere (O'Fallon, Mo./Liberty), who shot an opening round 83 to sit in a tie for 52nd place.
McKendree also sent one individual to the event as graduate student
Paige Hamel (Glen Carbon, Ill./Rend Lake College) shot an opening round 92 to sit in 80th place overall. Hamel, though, recorded one of the three eagles in the first round.
The Bearcats will conclude the event with a final 18 holes on Tuesday, Sept. 20 beginning with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. McKendree will be paired with Missouri Southern and Winona State in Tuesday's final round.
