March 19, 2004
BOERNE, Texas – Freshman standout Noriko Nakazaki (Hanover Park, Ill.) leads the Notre Dame women’s golf team and, along with Jackie Ey of Texas Tech, the rest of the 113-player field after the first round of play at the fourth annual Baylor-Tapatio Springs Shootout. Nakazaki fired a one-under par 71 on Friday to put her in a tie with Ey for first place, one stroke ahead of Indiana’s Danah Ford’s 18-hole score of 72.
Notre Dame is tied for 11th in the high-caliber 19-team field after shooting 319 on day one. The Irish, tied with Nebraska and North Texas, trail first-place Texas Tech (296) by 23 strokes, which holds a one-shot lead over the Hoosiers’ total of 297. The 54-hole tournament is being played at the par-72, 6,007-yard Tapatio Springs Golf Resort.
Nakazaki’s 71 was her third round under par this season as well as the team’s fifth sub-par round in ’03-’04. Coming into the season, Notre Dame players had turned in only five rounds below par in the previous 15 years of the program.
Following Nakazaki, junior Karen Lotta (Los Angeles, Calif./Marymount) and sophomore Katie Brophy (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) are next for the Irish. Both golfers are tied for 58th after each shooting an 81 in the first 18 holes of competition.
Sophomores Sarah Bassett (Spokane, Wash./Lewis and Clark) and Lauren Gebauer (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) round out the Notre Dame lineup. Bassett carded an opening-round total of 86 while Gebauer shot a 90 in the first round.
The Baylor-Tapatio Springs Shootout resumes play on Saturday, March 20, with the final 18 holes to be played on Sunday, March 21. On both days, the event gets underway at 8:30 (EST) with split tee times.
Results will be available on www.und.com following Saturday’s and Sunday’s action.
— ND —
TEAM RESULTS (18-hole totals): 1. Texas Tech 296; 2. Indiana 297; 3. Baylor 303; 4. Missouri 306; 5. New Mexico State 311; 6. Illinois 314; 7.(tie) Rollins College 315, Iowa 315; 9. UTEP 316; 10. Wisconsin 317; 11.(tie) Notre Dame 319, Nebraska 319, North Texas 319; 14. Arkansas State 323; 15.(tie) Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 328, Xavier 328; 17. Minnesota 329; 18. Texas-Pan American 334; 19. McLennan Community College 349.
TOP SEVEN INDIVIDUALS (of 113): 1.(tie) Noriko Nakazaki (Notre Dame) 71, Jackie Ey (Texas Tech) 71; 3. Danah Ford (Indiana) 72; 4.(tie) Sheila Mendez (Texas Tech) 73, Karen Dennison (Indiana) 73, Annie Mallory (UTEP) 73; 8. Seven players tied at 74.
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 113): 1.(tie) Noriko Nakazaki 71; 58.(tie) Karen Lotta 81, Katie Brophy 81; 94.(tie) Sarah Bassett 86; 103.(tie) Lauren Gebauer 90.
* – Individual entrant