Oilers in Second at Findlay Spring Invite in Lexington
Lexington, Ky. – The University of Findlay women's golf team is in Lexington, Kentucky, hosting the Findlay Spring Invite which is made up of 100 players representing 18 schools, all of which compete in the NCAA Division II Midwest Region. The event is being hosting at the University of Kentucky's Big Blue Course which will also play host to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Championship later this spring. Teams were scheduled to play 36 holes on the first day, Monday, March 22, but only six groups completed the two rounds in their entirety. The remaining 12 groups will resume their second round tomorrow morning before beginning the third and final round.
The Oilers, ranked sixth in the country, currently sit in second place in the event at 15-over par. Findlay's first round was a 294 (+6) and through 15 holes of their second round the team was nine-over. The Oilers are just four shots behind the leader, Grand Valley State, which was able to play both rounds to completion.
Mimicking the format of multiple Power 5, amongst others, golf tournamnets, the Findlay Spring Invite is being played differently than college golf fans are accustomed to. Instead of the normal groups of three, each player from a different school, players are playing in fivesomes made up of only their teammates.
Freshman Gabby Woods is currently in second place in the event thanks to an impressive start to her second round. Woods shot an opening-round 74 (+2) that included just a single birdie, but in round two she birdied four of her first seven holes to drop her score to two-under for the tournament. By day's end, the Sabina, Ohio native is three-under in her second round and one-under for the event.
Also in the top-ten in the tournament are senior Meredith Wipper and junior Jill Schmitmeyer who are currently tied for eighth at four-over par. Wipper turned in the lone eagle of the day for the Oilers on the 456-yard par-5 fifth, a fairway wood from the left rough which she hit inside ten feet. Wipper would finish that first nine at two-under while Schmitmeyer used three birdies in a four-hole stretch to shoot a three-under 33 on her first nine. Wipper is currently second in the field in par 5 scoring at four-under while Schmitmeyer is second in the field in birdies with seven.
Senior Kristina Kniesly is tied for 16th overall at eight-over. Kniesly fired an opening-round 75 (+3) and is currently five-over through 15 holes in the second round. Junior Danbi Kim rounds out the Oilers lineup and she is currently in a tie for 39th after shooting a 78 (+6) in the first round and is currently seven-over in the second round.
Competing as an individual, sophomore Lexis Fickel has played well and is tied for 35th at +12. The Logan, Ohio native shot 79 (+7) in the opening round and is currently five-over in the evening session. Freshman Jordan Pruitt is also competing as an individual and is in a tie for 61st after an 87 (+15) in the first round. She steadied herself in the second round and is currently six-over through 15 holes.
Action concludes tomorrow with players teeing off at 9:00 am EST.