Short game issues plague Flashes at N.C. tournament

Poor putting dropped the Kent State women’s golf team to a 17th place finish yesterday at the Tar Heel Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C.

In their first tournament in more than a month, the Flashes finished 41 strokes over par after carding 18-over-par as a team in the third and final round of the three-day competition.

“We just couldn’t seem to make a lot of putts during the three days, and we didn’t make an abundance of birdies,” Kent State coach Mike Morrow said. “I think the putting was probably the thing that held us back a little bit.”

As a team, the Flashes shot 5-over-par in the second round to move up to 15th place. Yesterday’s round, however, brought Kent State back down in the 18-team field.

“We had a really good team score the second round and had the chance to build momentum on it,” Morrow said, “but (we) really didn’t get out of the blocks very well (yesterday) and didn’t do a whole lot as a team.”

Leading Kent State, junior Sarah Bradley and sophomore Shamira Marshall both shot 9-over-par to finish tied for 48th. Bradley carded the Flashes’ lowest round of the tournament, shooting even par on Saturday.

After going 6-over-par in the first round, Marshall knocked off the rust to shoot a 72 and 73 to finish the invitational. She said the long break between competitions hindered the team.

“I thought we could have done a little better as a team, but we did have a month off from the last tournament,” Marshall said. “I’m sure once we get back into the swing of things we’ll start performing better.”

Kent State’s last appearance in a tournament was Sept. 6-8 at the Hooters Collegiate Match Play Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla.

After firing off a birdie on the first hole of the third round, Bradley made three bogeys and a double bogey to fall to 4-over-par on the round.

“Playing the course, it felt like you were either going to go out onto the course and have a day where all your putts dropped or a day where they shaved the hole,” Bradley said. “The difference between the way our team finished was just that we all had days where nothing dropped.”

Also playing for Kent State was junior Martina Gavier (11-over-par, T-53rd) and sophomores Mercedes Germino (15-over-par, T-68th) and Mandi Morrow (21-over-par, T-86th).

Kent State will take to the greens again next weekend at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship in Knoxville, Tenn.

Contact assistant sports editor Josh Johnston at [email protected]