Liam MacKenzie – Treasurer/Sports Editor
Haverhill, MA – The clubs were swinging, the scorecards were filling up and the Warriors were ready to tee off a new season. Merrimack College women’s golf opened its 2026-27 campaign at the Warrior Invitational at Haverhill Country Club, and the Warriors came away with a second-place finish while junior June Doerr put together a performance to remember.
Merrimack finished second out of nine teams at 44-over par, trailing only Boston University, which won the team title at 38-over. The Warriors closed the tournament with their best team round of the event, shooting a combined 2-over 290 in the final round to make a late push toward the top.
Doerr Sets the Pace – While the Warriors battled for position on the team leaderboard, Doerr was making her own climb up the individual standings. After opening the tournament with two rounds of 3-over 75, Doerr saved her best for last and finished atop the player standings at 3-over par with a 219.
Doerr opened with a 75 (+3) before carding another 75 in the second round. Heading into the final 18 holes, she had work to do, but the junior delivered when it mattered most.
A Final Round to Remember – Doerr’s final round was the kind of scorecard that can change a tournament in a hurry. She fired a 5-under 67, the lowest round of the entire invitational, using a strong front nine to climb from sixth place into the top spot.
Her front nine featured a pair of birdies, including back-to-back red numbers on holes four and seven, as she made the turn at 2-under 34. She continued to keep herself in position on the back nine and finished the day with the tournament’s best individual round.
The 67 moved Doerr all the way to the top of the leaderboard, giving her a three-round total of 219 (+3) and the individual title. It was a strong way to open the season, especially with the Warriors hosting the event at Haverhill Country Club.
Doerr Takes Home the Hardware – Doerr’s performance also earned her some hardware to go along with the top spot on the leaderboard. After becoming the individual champion of the Warrior Invitational, she took home the tournament trophy to cap off a memorable season-opening performance.
The trophy makes for a fitting image to begin Merrimack’s season, with Doerr standing alongside the hardware after leading the field. The post also captures members of the Warriors together, highlighting the team effort behind Merrimack’s second-place finish.
Doerr Makes Program History – Doerr’s performance at the Warrior Invitational added another chapter to Merrimack women’s golf history, as the junior etched her name into the program record book. Her tournament-best 5-under 67 helped propel her to the individual championship while also giving her another memorable accomplishment to begin the 2026-27 season.
The Warriors also made program history as a team during the tournament, setting a new record of their own. Merrimack’s record-setting performance added even more significance to the team’s runner-up finish and highlighted the strong start to the season.
With both Doerr and the team making their mark in the record book, the Warrior Invitational became more than just a successful season opener. Merrimack left Haverhill with an individual champion, a runner-up team finish and new program records to build upon throughout the 2026-27 campaign.
Redmond Joins Doerr in the Top Five – Doerr wasn’t alone near the top of the leaderboard, as teammate Erika Redmond finished third overall at 8-over par. Her performance gave Merrimack two golfers inside the top three and provided another major contribution toward the Warriors’ team score.
Having Doerr finish first and Redmond finish third gave Merrimack plenty of firepower at the top of its lineup. The pair helped keep the Warriors within striking distance of Boston University throughout the tournament.
Williams Adds a Top-15 Finish – Merrimack also received a strong performance from Olivia Williams, who finished tied for 11th at 15-over par. Her finish gave the Warriors three golfers inside the top 15 of the individual standings.
With Williams joining Doerr and Redmond near the top of the leaderboard, Merrimack showed the depth of its lineup in its first tournament of the year. That balance helped the Warriors finish comfortably ahead of the teams behind them.
A Warrior Start – The Warriors ultimately finished runner-up at their season-opening invitational, finishing with a 44-over team score. Boston University took first at 38-over, while Stonehill placed third at 50-over.
For Merrimack, though, the biggest individual headline came from Doerr, who went from sitting outside the lead to standing atop the leaderboard after a tournament-best final round. With the individual trophy in hand and a runner-up team finish to start the year, the Warriors have plenty to build on as the 2026-27 season gets underway.
