Jay's Champ shoots 2-over par (08/09/05)

MARION — Coach Tom Ferguson thought his lead golfer could score in school-record range this season. It may be a bit of a surprise that she’s done it so quickly.

Trisha Champ shot an 82 overall and 2-over-par 39 on the back nine at Arbor Trace Golf Club Monday to finish fifth overall at the Marion Invitational. The 2-over-par mark is believed to be a tie for the Jay County school record.

The Patriots shot 508 as a team, finishing 13th among the 14 teams. The host Giants won with a 338, Kokomo was second at 343 and Yorktown took third at 358.

Champ, a sophomore, opened on the back nine and got off to an excellent start. She parred the 260-yard, par-4 10th hole, and followed with the first of her two birdies on the 290-yard, par-4 11th.

After a bogey on No. 12 she came back with the second birdie on the 410-yard, par-5 13th.

The round could have come apart on the 15th hole, a 455-yard, par-5, when Champ sent her drive flying into the woods. However, she recovered for a bogey and later capped her record-tying opening nine holes with a par on the 350-yard, par-4 18th.

Champ added three pars and five bogeys on the front nine to complete her round of 82.

Junior Ashley Bunch was the only other Patriot to post a score of bogey on any hole in the tournament. She had three of them en route to a 130.

Freshmen Ivy Simons and Jennifer Hunt shot 147 and 149 respectively in the first meets of their careers to round out the team score.

Junior Miranda Denney scored a 67 on the back nine before withdrawing from the tournament because of a wrist injury.[[In-content Ad]]