BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — As an England native, WKU freshman golfer Megan Clarke had to adjust to the Bermuda grass and the grain of the greens in her college debut last week at the USA Intercollegiate.
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Clarke responded with a top-20 finish in her first outing. That was one of several results that give the Lady Toppers confidence heading into this week's Pirate Collegiate Classic, hosted by East Carolina.
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"I think we did really well as a team, especially on the second day when everyone had a good score," Clarke said. "I think we should be really happy with how we did."
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WKU will be one of 17 teams competing Monday and Tuesday at the par-72, 6,012-yard Greenville Country Club in Greenville, N.C. The teams will play 36 holes Monday starting with a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. CT, followed by the final round Tuesday morning.
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The Lady Toppers opened the season with a sixth-place finish at South Alabama's USA Intercollegiate.
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Sophomore Mary Joiner paved the way with a second-place individual finish and a career-low 212 tally across three rounds.
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"I was playing more consistent than I ever had. I only had one bogey," Joiner said. "Normally I have more birdies, but I mess up a lot, but I really wasn't making mistakes. That gives me confidence going forward. Our whole team played well. It's a young team, but we still held our own."
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On top of Clarke's promising start, Katie Story also found the top 25 with a tie for 23rd. The Lady Toppers gained valuable experience for freshman Caroline Cavin – making her college debut – and sophomores Abigail Smee and Bailey Tyree.
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Joiner, Clarke, Story and Tyree will be joined in competition this week by WKU senior Georgina Blackman, a three-time all-conference selection and a first-team All-C-USA pick a year ago.
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The Lady Toppers finished sixth as a team in East Carolina's event last season, led by Story in a tie for 11th individually.
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