Messer makes eight-stroke improvement at Johnson City

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn, - Whitney Messer made an impressive, eight-stroke improvement on the second-day of the Milligan Golf Invitational Tuesday, which shot her up the tournament leaderboard.

The Union College senior shot a one-under par 72, which was tied for the second-best best performance of the day. Her overall score of 152 (+6) tied her for eighth in the 72-player field at the two-day invitational in Johnson City, Tenn.

Messer entered play Tuesday tied for 25th after shooting an 80 on day one, and struggled a bit out of the gate, recording bogeys on two of the first two holes. But she quickly showed marked improvements, getting her score under-par after recording birdies on the eighth, 10th and 13th holes.

She added a fourth birdie on 17 to go two-under-par before closing out her strong day with a bogey, her first since the fourth hole. She tied tournament runner-up Carly Crooks of Pikeville (Ky.) for the second-best score of the day, just one stroke behind tournament champion Megan Ahmadi of SCAD Atlanta.

She was the only member of the Bulldog women's team to compete at the invitational.

On the men's side, Kedric Chaney recorded a seven-over-par score of 151, tying for 29th overall. Chaney shot a 74 on Monday and a 77 Tuesday.

Postseason play is up next for the Bulldogs, who will take part in the Appalachian Athletic Conference Fall Preview meet in the coming weeks. The men's tournament will take place in Seneca, S.C. on Oct. 17 and 18, with the women's tournament being held in Greenville, Tenn. on Oct. 24 and 25.