Janiga first, Mercer fifth at Fighting Camel Fall Classic
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Mercer University freshman Mary Augusta Janiga shot an even-par 72 to lead the field on the opening day of Campbell University Fighting Camel Fall Classic, helping the women's golf team finish the round in fifth place with a team tally of 313.
Mercer carded a 25-over-par Sunday as it heads into Monday's second round just one stroke out of third place. The Bears are also just seven shots behind the leaders, Campbell and Old Dominion.
Janiga, who already owns a pair of top-10 finishes this fall, was back at it on Sunday, dropping six birdies in the first 18 holes of play to end the day in a tie for first place. The freshman did most of her damage on par-3 and par-5 holes, going a combined 3-under in those situations.
Hannah Mae Deems had the Bears' hole of the day with her birdie on No. 15, the course's toughest with hazards lining both sides of the green. The junior pushed her iron shot over the green, but the ball hit the curb of the cart path before it reached the hazard and bounced back toward the green. Deems used the stroke of luck to her advantage, sinking her pitch shot for one of her two birdies on the day.
Payton Schanen heads into the second round needing to make up just two strokes to move into position for her fourth straight top-20 finish.
The Bears will be back in action Monday for the second round of play, which will open up at 8:30 a.m.
Western Carolina sixth at Fighting Camel Fall Classic
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Western Carolina senior Kim Mitchell carded an opening-round score of 2-over-par 74 to sit tied with four others for third to pace the Catamounts at the Fighting Camel Fall Classic at the par-72, 6,050-yard Keith Hills Golf Club. WCU stands sixth in the 15-team field after 18 of the 54 scheduled holes, shooting 314 collectively on Sunday.
Round two gets underway with set tee times on both the front and back nines beginning at 8:30 a.m. Monday. WCU’s scoring five will be paired with golfers from Georgia Southern and Mercer, opening on the front nine beginning at 9:15 a.m. WCU’s individual, Ashley Thompson, will tee off on the back nine at 8:30 a.m. Live scoring is available online at GolfStatResults.com.
Senior Mariah Hopkins sits in an eight-way tie for 18th after posting a 6-over-par 78.
Having led the Catamounts in their most recent tournament, junior Bethany Galloway is tied for 35th after 18 holes, shooting 8-over 80 on Sunday. Freshmen Maddi Caldwell (53rd-t, 82) and Natalia Villavicencio (62nd-t, 83) round out WCU’s scoring five.
Playing unattached as an individual, Thompson (86) is tied for 73rd overall.
Two teams stand tied atop the leaderboard after the opening 18 holes. Tournament host Campbell – 45th in the nation in the latest GolfStat rankings – is tied with Old Dominion with matching team scores of 306. Northern Illinois and Georgia Southern are tied for third after first-round team scores of 312 with Southern Conference foe Mercer rounding out the top five, just a stroke ahead of WCU.