Ledwein Wins for the 2nd Week in a Row

MURRAY, Ky. -- Taylor Ledwein claimed the third victory of her college career over the weekend -- and her second in two weeks. And for the second week in a row, the Bradley senior led wire to wire. This time, she opened with a 3-under-par 69 at Miller Memorial Golf Course and followed with a 74 and a 73 for a winning total of 216 (even par) in the Murray State Jan Weaver Invitational. 

Belmont freshman Delia Gibbs finished second, three behind a 219. Madeline Sager of Seton Hall was third, another shot back at 220. No one else was within seven strokes of Ledwein, a former two-time Minnesota state high school champion from New Prague and a 2020 MGA Women's Co-Player of the Year, along with Kate Smith. (Smith also won a college tournament recently. The Nebraska senior won the All-State Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate in March.)

Ledwein posted the best score of her college career, a 67, in the first round of the Diane Daugherty Invitational at Greenbriar Hlls CC on her way to a one-shot victory in Kirkwood, Missouri, two weeks ago. 

Last week's victory followed a similar pattern at Murray State, except that Ledwein didn't have sole possession of first place after 36 holes this time. She and Gibbs were tied at 142 going into Saturday's final round at Miller Memorial. But Ledwein quickly took control. The co-leaders both started on the fifth hole, a 365-yard, par 4. Ledwein parred it, and Gibbs made a double bogey. Gibbs dropped another stroke with a bogey at the 336-yard, par-4 seventh hole, which Ledwein birdied -- and suddenly, she was four shots ahead. 

Gibbs bogeyed the 10th (330 yards, par 4), then got one shot back with a birdie at the 14th (418, par 4), but she doubled the 350-yard, par-4 15th. That pretty much settled the issue, because while that was going on, Ledwein was in the process of making eight pars in a row. She bogeyed the 16th and 18th holes, but Gibbs bogeyed the 17th. So the margin was still five shots when they returned to the front nine. 

Two late birdies by Gibbs, at the first and fourth holes, didn't really threaten Ledwein. But they moved Gibbs ahead of Sager and gave her sole possession of second place. 

Murray State teammates Payton Carter and Sarah Forsythe tied for fourth at 223, along with Sophia Rohleder of Evansville. Their efforts helped the Racers win the team championship with an overall 898. Central Arkansas was two behind in second at 900, and Seton Hall third at 902.

Ledwein's Bradley teammate Megan Welch, a sophomore from Lakeville North, was tied for fourth after a first-round 73, but she shot 80 in the second round. She came back with a closing 74, which earned her a tie for 12th at 227 -- and also helped the Braves secure a fourth-place finish in the 12-team field with an aggregate of 907.  

The recent performances by Ledwein have resulted in a big move up in the Women's NCAA Division I Rankings. She was No. 910 at the end of March, but popped up to 652 with her victory at the Diane Daugherty. This week, after winning at Murray State, she is No. 440. 

Ledwein's first college victory came two years ago, at the Babs Steffens Hatter Classic in Daytona Beach, Fla. 


WOMEN'S COLLEGE GOLF

Murray State Jan Weaver Invitational 

At Miller Memorial Golf Course

Par 72, 6,024 yards

Murray, Ky.

Final results 

1. Murray State               305-294-299--898

2. Central Arkansas        305-293-302--900

3. Seton Hall                   303-299-300--902

4. Bradley                        298-308-301--907

5. Belmont                       302-304-304--910

6. Eastern Kentucky        303-300-311--914

7. Southern Illinois          300-310-312--922

8. Georgia State             311-303-317--931

9. Evansville                   308-309-315--932

10. Dayton                      316-306-311--933

11. Austin Peay               308-323-314--945

12. Tennessee Tech        317-317-316--950

Individuals

1. Taylor Ledwein, Bradley         69-74-73--216

2. Delia Gibbs, Belmont                71-72-76--219

3. Madeline Sager, Seton Hall      76-71-73--220

T4. Payton Carter, Murray State   73-71-79--223

T4. Sarah Forsythe, Murray St.    78-73-72--223

T4. Sophia Rohleder, Evansville   74-72-77--223

T12. Megan Welch, Bradley        73-80-74--227