Carter Increases Lead At OVC Championship On Birdie Binge

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Carter Increases Lead At OVC Championship On Birdie Binge

4/18/2022 5:10:00 PM | Women's Golf

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The junior has a chance to become the eighth Racer women’s golfer to win the OVC medalist title on Tuesday

Payton Carter birdied four of five holes in Monday's second round to increase her lead at the 28^th Ohio Valley Conference championship at the Shoals Golf Club in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

The junior from Henderson, Kentucky, carries a 2-shot lead into Tuesday's final round at the Fighting Joe Course after posting two excellent rounds in difficult weather conditions. Her score line of 71-70 has produced a 3-under 141 for a two-shot lead over Morehead State's MacKenzie Neal who carded scores of 73-70=143.

Carter tries to become the eighth Racer to win the OVC medalist championship and the first since Anna Moore in 2019.

In windy and cold conditions, Carter overcame a double-bogey on the No. 7 hole with four birdies in five holes on the back nine. Her birdie binge included three-straight on holes 11 through 13 and another at the 15^th. Carter made a bogey at the 17^th and par at the last for a 37-33 day for a 2-under par 70.

When the second round was complete, the Racers' team aspirations took a hit as they fell to fourth place on scores of 299-313=612. Austin Peay (600), Belmont (601) and Morehead State (608) made up the top-3.

The final round for the Racers begins Tuesday morning at 8:40 a.m., paired with Tennessee Tech. Payton Carter hits her first shot of the day at 9:12 a.m.

Rd2 in the books at Muscle Shoals. Payton Carter's 2-under 70 today puts her into the lead at @OVCSports Championship. She carries a 2-shot lead into Tuesday's final rd. Had a run of 4 birdies in 5 holes on back nine. pic.twitter.com/FYu9hw50YX
— Murray State Women's Golf (@RacersWGolf) April 18, 2022

Racer Golf Notes

Through 36 holes, Carter is third in the field on Par-3 holes (3.00), first on Par-4's (3.85) and third on Par-5's (5.00).
Carter is first with eight birdies and fourth with 24 pars.
Carter's 70 is her new career-low score after she tied her career-low yesterday with a 71. Her 70 today is the best score for the Racers at the OVC Championship since Linette Holmslykke's 69 in the 2019 event.
If Carter can bring it home, she becomes the eighth Racer to win the medalist title at the OVC Championship. Those previous wins include Jenny Daag (1998 & 1999), Cuyler Hedley (2003), Lee Anne Pace (2004), Nikki Orazine (2005), Delaney Howson (2014), Moa Folke (2016 & 2017) and Anna Moore (2019).
Carter will try to become the OVC's second individual auto-qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. Jacksonville State's Berta Sanchez was the first in 2021.

Payton Carter comments on her brilliant 2nd round at the @OVCSports Championship. pic.twitter.com/rENCIYEcen
— Murray State Women's Golf (@RacersWGolf) April 18, 2022

28^th Ohio Valley Women's Golf Championship
The Shoals GC – Fighting Joe Course
Muscle Shoals, Ala. - April 17-19, 2022
Par-72, 6,027yds - GolfStat.com bit.ly/3M4m7kb
Round-2 Scores

Team
Austin Peay State 295 305 600 +24
Belmont University 299 302 601 +25
Morehead State 307 301 608 +32
Murray State 299 313 612 +36
Tennessee Tech 305 308 613 +37
Eastern Illinois 331 349 680 +104

5 Murray State 299 313 612
1 Payton Carter (1) 71 70 141
T16 Ana Picchi (3) 73 83 156
T19 Eliza Kho (2) 77 80 157
21 Emmie Eriksson (5) 78 80 158
32 Emma Payne (6) 85

About The Shoals
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals is home to two 18-hole championship courses and lies between the Wheeler and Wilson dams on the Tennessee River. Wheeler Dam is named in honor of General Joseph "Fighting Joe" Wheeler - the only Confederate General to attain the same rank later in the United States Army. The Fighting Joe course at The Shoals was the first Trail course to break 8,000 yards. Travel + Leisure Golf named Fighting Joe one of the top new courses in 2004. The second course, the Schoolmaster (named for President Woodrow Wilson who was responsible for getting Wilson Dam built and was also known as "The Schoolmaster" of politics), opened in the Summer of 2005.

About Murray State Athletics
Located in Murray, Kentucky, the athletics department of Murray State University is a NCAA Division I member and plays in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Racers have 15 programs including men's teams for baseball, basketball, cross country, football and golf and women's teams for basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball, as well as a mixed gender rifle team. Currently a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, the Racers will join the Missouri Valley Conference on July 1, 2022. The Racers will begin play in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2023.