Women’s Golf Leads Bucknell Invitational After Record-Setting Second Round

Saturday, September 24

Lewisburg, Pa. (Bucknell GC)

All Day

Bucknell University

Bucknell Invitational

Women’s Golf Leads Bucknell Invitational After Record-Setting Second Round

9/24/2022 7:32:00 PM | Women's Golf

RESULTS

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell women's golf team took command of its annual home tournament with a record-setting second round on Saturday. Sophomore Tara Thomas matched the school record with a sensational 69, and the Bison tied the team mark with a 296 total, giving them a nine-shot lead over Mount St. Mary's heading into Sunday's final round.

The Bison began the day with a 306 team composite, led by 74s from Paige Richter and Kayla Yi. They trailed Mount St. Mary's by two shots heading into the afternoon round, then outscored the Mountaineers 296-307 to jump in front. Bucknell has a 602 total for 36 holes, followed by Mount St. Mary's (611), Bryant (626), Saint Francis (638), La Salle (649), Niagara (672), and Bloomsburg (737).

Bucknell's second group posted rounds of 318-315, and its 633 total is fourth-best in the field.

Thomas was the story of the day, as she became the third player in team history to break 70 in a tournament round. Bridget Wilcox was the first to do it with a 3-under-par 69 on the Penn State Blue Course in the fall of 2010. Casey Morrow carded a 1-under 69 at the Bucknell Golf Club in the spring of 2021.

Thomas's 1-under 69 featured three birdies, two bogies, and 13 pars. She began the round with a par on the fourth hole and then quickly followed with a birdie at the par-4 fifth. She added two more birdies at the 14th and 1st holes before finishing with pars on the difficult par-3 second and par-5 third.

Thomas improved on her first-round 77, and her 36-hole total of 146 is good for a three-stroke lead over teammate Richter and Bryant's McLain Neal. Viveka Kurup of the Bison B squad is tied for fourth at 150 after posting a career-best 73 in round two.

In addition to Thomas's 69, the Bison also counted a 74 from Kelsey Yi, a 75 from Richter, and a 78 from freshman Erin Drahnak on the way to the 296 total. This is the third 296 in team history, with the other two coming three weeks apart in the fall of 2010. That team posted a 296 at the Bucknell Invitational and the Nittany Lion Invitational, with the latter led by the 69 from Wilcox.

Including Kayla Yi's discarded 79, the Bucknell quintet combined for 10 birdies in the second round. Richter also had three, and the Yi twins had two each.

The third and final round gets underway at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.