Like A Thoroughbred Champion – Carter Wins OVC Individual Title

Sunday, April 17

Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Murray State

Ohio Valley Conference

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Like A Thoroughbred Champion – Carter Wins OVC Individual Title

4/19/2022 5:05:00 PM | Women's Golf

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Payton Carter becomes the eighth Murray State winner of the OVC women’s golf individual championship

Payton Carter grinded out an impressive victory Tuesday to win the individual title at the 28^th Ohio Valley Conference Women's Golf Championship at the Shoals Golf Club in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Carter made two birdies on the front nine at the third and fifth holes and pushed her lead to five shots with 13 holes to play. That gave her cushion to withstand three-straight bogeys from the 13^th hole through the 14^th hole. When she made three-straight pars on the Fighting Joe Course tough finishing holes, Carter was in the clubhouse with a 2-shot lead on Morehead State's MacKenzie Neal, who still had most of her final round to play.

Neal couldn't catch Carter who becomes Murray State's eighth player to win the OVC medalist championship and the first since Anna Moore in 2019. Carter's score line made her the only player in the field to finish under par Payton Carter

on rounds of 71-70-73=214 (2-under). Neal was runner up with scores of 73-70-74=217

Carter is the OVC's individual representative and is headed to the NCAA Championship (May 9-11). The selection show (April 27) on The Golf Channel will reveal what regional of six she gets sent to. The 2022 NCAA's has six regional sites including Albuquerque, New Mexico (The Championship Course at UNM), Ann Arbor, Michigan (UM Golf Course), Franklin, Tennessee (Vanderbilt Legends Club), Stanford, California (Stanford Golf Course), Stillwater, Oklahoma (Karsten Creek Golf Club) and Tallahassee, Florida (Don Veller Seminole Golf Course & Club).

Carter also became the 10^th Racer to win OVC Player of the Year and the first since Linette Holmslykke in 2019.

As a team, the Racers placed fourth on scores of 299-313-306=918.

After Carter's first place finish, MSU's next best finisher was Ana Picchi in 17^th place on scores of 73-83-77=233. Emmie Eriksson gave the Racers three players in the top-20 on scores of 78-80-77=235 and Eliza Mae Kho placed 21^st on scores of 77-80-79=236. Alma Garcia played the first round for the Racers and carded an 85 and Emma Payne played the final 36 holes and posted scores of 85-80.

Austin Peay won the team title nipping Belmont and Morehead State by one stroke (901 to 902).

A putt to seal the @ovcsports championship! Congratulations Payton! pic.twitter.com/SOQN3aBD5d
— Murray State Women's Golf (@RacersWGolf) April 19, 2022

Payton Carter comments on her win at the ⁦@OVCSports⁩ Championship in Muscle Shoals GC. pic.twitter.com/C8MxcXu5S1
— Murray State Women's Golf (@RacersWGolf) April 19, 2022

Coach Velvet Milkman comments on the big win by Payton Carter at the ⁦@OVCSports⁩ Women's Golf Championship. pic.twitter.com/KxPng9M4Hw
— Murray State Women's Golf (@RacersWGolf) April 19, 2022

Racer Golf Notes

Payton Carter is the eighth Racer to win the medalist title at the OVC Championship. Those eight players have won a total of 10 OVC titles.
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).
Since the auto-qualifier rule was changed, Carter is the OVC's second to the NCAA Tournament. Jacksonville State's Berta Sanchez was the first in 2021.
Carter is the 10^th Racer to be the OVC Player of the Year and first since Linette Holmslykke in 2019.
The list of Racers to be Player of the Year includes: Jenny Daag (1998, 1999), Cuyler Hedley (2002), Lee Anne Pace (2003), Nikki Orazine (2004, 2005), Delaney Howson (2014), Moa Folke (2017), Linette Holmslykke (2019) and Payton Carter (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
Final Scores

Team
Austin Peay 295 305 301 901 +37
Belmont 299 302 301 902 +38
Morehead State 307 301 294 902 +38
Tennessee Tech 305 308 305 918 +54
Murray State 299 313 306 918 +54
Eastern Illinois 331 349 349 1029 +165

T4 Murray State 299 313 306 918
1 Payton Carter (1) 71 70 73 214
T17 Ana Picchi (3) 73 83 77 233
T19 Emmie Eriksson (5) 78 80 77 235
T21 Eliza Kho (2) 77 80 79 236
32 Emma Payne (6) 85 80 165
Alma Garcia (5) 85

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.