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Women’s Golf Looks to Continue Strong Start at Bucknell Invitational

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Setting The Scene
What: 2022 Bucknell Invitational
When: Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 24-25 (54 holes); 9 am shotgun Saturday; 8:30 am shotgun Sunday
Where: Par-70, 5901-yard Bucknell Golf Club, Lewisburg, Pa.
The Field: 7 teams (Bucknell, Bloomsburg, Bryant, La Salle, Mount St. Mary’s, Niagara, Saint Francis)

LIVE SCORING: GolfStat.com

About the Bison

  • Bucknell is looking to keep its strong start to the 2022-23 season going this weekend when it hosts its annual fall tournament at the Bucknell Golf Club.
  • Never mind the team finishes, the Bison have played some good golf against tough competition over the first two weeks of the season. Playing three rounds at the River Course at Kingsmill and three more at the Penn State Blue Course, Bucknell has averaged 309.0 as a team thus far. That is a 10-shot improvement over the fall 2021 team average of 319.4.
  • For the first time in four years, the Bison counted four scores in the 70s in all three rounds last week at the Nittany Lion Invitational. The last time that happened was in the fall of 2018 at the Delaware Invitational at Rehoboth Beach CC.
  • The Bison posted team scores of 307-311-305 at Penn State, with the low scores a first-round 75 from Kayla Yi and a third-round 75 from Paige Richter. Kelsey Yi was the low Bison for the weekend with a 230 total (77-77-76), while Richter, Kayla Yiand Tara Thomas all shot 231.
  • Last week’s 923 team total was the fourth-best 54-hole total and the second-best on an away course. Bucknell’s low 54-hole total on a course other than the Bucknell Golf Club is a 922 at Rehoboth Beach in the fall of 2018. The Bison lowered their previous best 54-hole score on the Penn State Blue Course by eight shots. They compiled a 931 there in 2019.
  • Richter is off to a strong start to her rookie season with all six rounds in the 70s so far, including a 73 in her first collegiate round at Kingsmill. Kelsey Yi also has six rounds in the 70s, and she and Richter share the team lead with 76.3 averages. Thomas (77.5) and Kayla Yi (78.8) are not far behind.
  • All 10 Bison will be in action this weekend. Richter, Kelsey YiThomas, Kayla Yiand freshman Erin Drahnak will comprise the A squad, while Viveka Kurup, Sahana Paravantavida, Cristina Canales, Tatum McKelveyand Morgon Sohosky will tee it up for the B team.
  • This is the 25th season for the Bison women’s golf program, which debuted in 1998-99. Laura Tyler-Cook is the fourth head coach in team history, following Brad Tufts, Kevin Jamiesonand Lisa Francisco.

The Bison at the Bucknell Invitational

  • The Bison have won this event five times: 2006, 2010, 2011, 2016, and Spring 2021.
  • Bucknell finished fifth in an 11-team field last year with a 54-hole total of 936. Tara Thomas was the low Bison, finishing T-7th with scores of 74-75-75. Christina Canales’ second-round 72 was the team’s best card of the weekend.
  • Navy lapped the field here last year, shooting 885 to beat runner-up Lehigh by 39 strokes. Howard’s Reese Wilson and Navy’s Mara Hirtle both shot 218 over 54 holes, with Wilson earning medalist honors based on a better final-round score (72).
  • With no golf played last fall due to COVID-19, last season’s Bucknell Invitational was contested in April. It was just a four-team event, but Bucknell ran away with the team and individual titles. In fact, Bucknell’s Orange (615) and Blue (620) squads both outpaced runner-up Saint Francis (Pa.), which totaled 665.
  • Casey Morrow had a record-setting weekend for the Bison. She tied the school record with an opening-round 69, and her second-round 74 was also the best in the field. Morrow was medalist by six shots over his teammate Tatum McKelvey.
  • Bucknell has had six medalists at its home event. The most recent was Casey Morrow in the spring of 2021. Other individual champions are Lindsay Dodovich (2016), Katie Jurenovich (2010), Teri Schlang (2006), Jess Hetrich (2002), and Hilary Mainka (1999).

Next Up

  • The Bison have two more fall events after this one. They will be at the Navy Fall Invitational on Oct. 1-2 and the Lady Blue Hen Invitational on Oct. 15-16.