By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Morgan Brasser of Fort Hays State won the MWSU Holiday Inn Express Classic for a second-straight year on Tuesday (Mar. 28). Sitting just one stroke back in second place to start the final round at 2-over par, Brasser carded five birdies on her way to a 2-under par final round of 70. She won the tournament by three strokes over Julie Hofmanova of Missouri Western. The tournament took place at its usual location of St. Joseph Country Club.
Last year Brasser won the Holiday Inn Express Classic by five strokes over Jessica Green of Rogers State with a total of 146 (+2). This year she was two strokes better at an even-par 144, thanks to seven birdies throughout the tournament to counteract five bogeys and one double bogey. Her seven birdies led the tournament field, while her 23 pars ranked sixth. Navigating her way to even-par golf in the final round through 15 holes, Brasser put the tournament away by carding birdies on two of her last three holes.
Aliyah North also had a great showing for the Tigers by putting together her best tournament of the season. North carded back-to-back rounds of 77 to finish at +10 (154) to tie for ninth. It was the first top-10 finish of the season for North. She filled her first-round scorecard with nine-straight pars on the back nine and 13 overall to go with five bogeys. In the second round, she had three birdies to offset eight bogeys to get to a total of 5-over par for the second-straight day.
With Brasser and North finishing in the top 10, it helped Fort Hays State to a fifth-place finish as a team with a total of 638. It was the Tigers’ highest placement as a team in a tournament so far this season. Missouri Western won its home tournament by 21 strokes at 604. Maryville was second at 625 and Northwest Missouri State was third at 626.
Shauna Lee shot rounds of 83 and 82 to tie for 24thindividually. Lexie Ridder carded rounds of 90 and 85 to finish alone in 45th. Lee carded three birdies in the second round.
Brasser now has four individual tournament titles in her career at FHSU, twice now at the MWSU Holiday Inn Express Classic. Earlier this fall she won the Augustana Fall Regional Preview and Tulsa Cup.
The Tigers return to action next week at the Newman Invitational, which will be held at Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kansas April 3-4.