TYLER, TEXAS – The University of Texas at Tyler women's golf team finished in eighth place with a team score of 622 (303-319) in the opening tournament of the 2021-22 season on Tuesday at the 2021 DBU Invitational.
The Patriots opened up the morning round with a team score of 303 at The Golf Club of Dallas, but were unable to hold onto their fourth-place standing in the afternoon round with a score of 319. DBU claimed their first tournament victory of the 2021-22 season in the event with a team score of 581 (294-287), 22 strokes clear of the field.
DBU's Madison Head secured the individual title with rounds of 73-69 to finish two-under par for the tournament with a two-round total of 142.
Returners
Raelynn Hardgrave and
Julia Kerrigan both opened up their seasons with rounds of 73 on Tuesday morning in round one to lead the Patriots, while returning Second Team All-Lone Star Conference selection
Zoe Mayfield fired a round of 76. Those three quality rounds led UT Tyler to a fourth-place standing at the completion of the opening round after a team total of 303.
UT Tyler slid down the leaderboard into eighth place as Hardgrave and Kerrigan led the Patriots in the afternoon round as well with rounds of 76 and 77. Hardgrave's two-round total of 149 placed her in a tie for 13
th place while Kerrigan's 150 led to a tie for 15
th.
Mayfield shot 83 in the second round on Tuesday, and finished in a tie for 33
rd place with a 159 total.
Sophomore
Sora Kim and junior
Kaitlyn Charles rounded out the five-player team for the Patriots on Tuesday. Kim shot rounds of 81-84 to finish in a tie for 46
th place while Charles, a transfer from Tyler Junior College finished her Patriot debut with a two-round total of 167 (84-83).
Three additional Patriots got some competitive experience as individuals in the first tournament of the season for head coach
Grant Spencer, including freshman
Brooke Wagner, who fired rounds of 77-81 to finish in a tie for 29
th. That tie for 29
th tied Wagner for the lead amongst the individuals in the tournament, a group that included
Lauren Christl (86-86) and
Avery Bryant (88-85) from UT Tyler.
The Patriots will have a quick turnaround as they are scheduled to compete in their second tournament of the fall semester on Sept. 13-14 at The Swan Memorial, hosted by Colorado Christian in Thornton, Colo.
