FHSU Athletics
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Morgan Brasser of Fort Hays State three-peated as champion of the Holiday Inn Express Classic, hosted by Missouri Western State University (March 25-26). Due to weather and course conditions, the second round of the tournament was canceled on Tuesday morning, thus making the first-day results the final results of the tournament. Brasser tied for the individual title with Florence Phan of Missouri Western, each shooting an even-par 72 on Monday.
As a team, the third-place finish tied the highest team placement for the Tiger women in a tournament since the 2021-22 season, when they finished third at the Oklahoma Baptist Fall Invitational in Shawnee, Okla. Fort Hays State led the tournament field as a team in par 4 scoring at just +6 as a team. The 317 team score the Tigers posted was their second-lowest round score of the season.
Brasser blazed her way to a tournament-best six birdies, two better than any other player in the field on Monday. After starting the day 2-over par through six holes, Brasser caught fire in her final 12, which included all six of her birdies, a pair of bogeys, and one double bogey. In the first three holes of her final 12, she carded a pair of birdies to get back to even before a pair of bogeys over the next four holes pushed her back to 2-over. She really turned it up a notch with four birdies over the final five holes, carding three-straight birdies before the double bogey, but finished strong with another birdie. Three of the four birdies over her final five holes were on par 5s and one was on a par 3. She played the par 5s in 3-under par, also best in the field on par 5s.
Brasser won the Holiday Inn Express Classic in 2022 with a two-round total of 2-over par, winning the tournament by five strokes. In 2023, she won the tournament by three strokes with a two-round total of even par. In her last five rounds in the event, she has shot rounds of 74, 72, 74, 70, and 72. She led the tournament field in birdies all three years, recording a total of 21 over her three-year reign as champion of the event.
Also turning in a top-10 finish was Shauna Lee, tying for 10th with a 5-over par 77. It was Lee's highest finish in a tournament since the 2021-22 season, when she finished alone in ninth at the aforementioned Oklahoma Baptist Fall Invitational. Lee carded a pair of birdies on Monday to go with 11 pars, three bogeys, and two double bogeys. Lee had a strong start with six straight pars and carded her two birdies over the final seven holes. A birdie on the last hole helped her jump up into a top-10 finish.
Ella Neuhauser finished in a tie for 18th place with a 7-over par 79. It was Neuhauser's best round of the season, her first time inside of 80 as a Tiger. It topped her previous best 18-hole score by four strokes. Neuhauser also had a pair of birdies to go with seven pars and nine bogeys. Hayden York rounded out the scoring for FHSU with an 89. She had six pars during her round.
Augustana (S.D.) won the tournament as a team with a 300 (+12). Missouri Western was second with a 309, while FHSU and Maryville University tied for third at 317.
Up next for the Tigers will be the Spring Regional Preview in Springfield, Mo., held April 8-9 at Rivercut Golf Course