Nov. 8, 2017
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Notre Dame women’s golf head coach Susan Holt announced Wednesday that Claire Albrecht has signed a National Letter of Intent to tee it up for the Irish, beginning in fall 2018.
“Coach Demeter and I are very happy to have Claire officially join our golf family,” Holt said. “She will be a great addition and add depth to a very solid core group of returning players next year.”
Albrecht, the younger sister of current Irish golfer Emma Albrecht, hails from Ormond Beach, Florida.
Thus far in 2017, Claire Albrecht has placed in the top 20 in 11 FSGA tournaments, and in the top five in two. She tied for fifth in the amateur standings at the Florida Women’s Open (16th overall), and was the medalist at both the district and regional rounds of the Florida High School Athletic Association girls golf tournament. Albrecht tied for fifth in the state tournament and her current USGA Handicap Index is +1.3.
Albrecht carded five top-10 finishes on the AJGA Tour, including two in the top five, and has finished in the top five in seven Florida Junior Tour events.
Claire Albrecht will be the third Floridian to golf for Notre Dame, after her sister and Irish alum Shane Smith (’01). The Albrechts will be the fifth pair of sisters to golf for the Irish, joining Crissy (’94) and Mary (’01) Klein, Katy (’95) and Beth (’00) Cooper, Julie (’96) and Tracy (’98) Melby and Katie (’06) and Annie (’10) Brophy.
Set to graduate high school in the spring of 2018, Albrecht has a 4.56 GPA and is ranked sixth in her class of 360 at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida. She is a member of the National Junior Honors Society. Albrecht was one of 12 female student-athletes recognized as an AJGA Transamerica Scholastic All-American in 2016.
Named Girls Golfer of the Year in 2015 and 2016 by both the News Journal and Spectrum Sports, Albrecht will look to make an immediate impact for the Irish next season.
“Playing her junior golf in Florida has allowed her to compete with many other outstanding players, and she has elevated her game nicely this past year,” Coach Holt said. “I look for her to make an immediate impact upon her arrival at Notre Dame next fall.”
Emma and Claire Albrecht come from a golfing family. Their mother, Annie, played college golf for four years at Wichita State University. Their father, Eric, played three seasons of college golf at James Madison University and worked for 12 years as an LPGA vice president.
AJGA/Junior Golf
– 2016 AJGA Transamerica Scholastic All-American (one of 12 female student-athletes recognized nationwide)
– Five top-10 finishes on AJGA Tour
– Two top-5 finishes on AJGA Tour
– Two top-3 finishes on Florida Junior Tour, including runner-up finish
– Seven top-5 finishes on Florida Junior Tour
– Fourteen top-10 finishes on Florida Junior Tour
– Quarterfinalist in 2016 Florida State Golf Association Junior Matchplay Championship
– Three runner-up finishes on Hurricane Junior Golf Tour
– Top-5 in 2016 IJGT Tournament of Champions
– Recorded first career hole-in-one in February 2015 at a Florida Junior Tour event at the Gainesville Country Club in Gainesville, Florida.
Women’s Amateur Golf
– T-16 in 2017 Florida Women’s Open; T-5 among amateurs
– T-9 in 2016 Florida Women’s Amateur Strokeplay Championship
High School Golf
– 2015 and 2016 News Journal Girls Golfer of the Year
– 2015 and 2016 Spectrum Sports Girls Golfer of the Year
– 2014, 2015, and 2016 Five Star Conference Champion
– 2015 and 2016 District Champion
– 2015 and 2016 Regional Champion
– T-5 in 2016 Florida High School 2A State Championship
– Undefeated in 2016 and 2017 High School golf matches
— ND —