Sept. 30, 2007
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The 11th-ranked Notre Dame women’s golf team recorded its third consecutive victory by topping the 10-team field at the Wolverine Invitational at the par 71, 6,098 yard U-M Golf Course. The Fighting Irish fired a final-round total of 304 on Sunday to finish with a three-round total of 904 (303-297-304). This marks the first time in program history that Notre Dame has ever won three straight tournaments.
Notre Dame entered Sunday trailing Michigan, the host school for the event, by two strokes. The Wolverines shot a 323 (+39) on Sunday to drop out of contention. Wisconsin carded the top round on Sunday with a 301 (+17), yet that could only get the Badgers to within four shots of the Irish with a 908 final tally. Indiana finished third with a 916, while Michigan and Eastern Michigan rounded out the top five with respective scores of 921 and 924.
Eastern Michigan’s Stephany Fleet held on to her two-round lead as she fired a six-over par 77 on Sunday to finish first among the 60-golfer field with a 219 (+6). Fighting Irish junior Lisa Maunu (St. Thomas, Ontario/Parkside Collegiate Institute) concluded the event among a three-way tie for second with an eight-over par 221 (74-72-75). She has placed in the top six in all three events this season.
Freshman So-Hyun Park (Seoul, South Korea/Bradenton Prep (FL)) concluded the two-day event with a nine-over par 222 (74-71-77) and in fifth place for the Fighting Irish. That was Park’s third straight top-five finish. Her classmate Katie Conway (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) carded Notre Dame’s top round of the day with a three-over par 74. She finished in a three-way tie for ninth, which is her top placing of the season, with a 228 (78-76-74).
Notre Dame sophomores Annie Brophy (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) and Kristin Wetzel (Middletown, N.Y./Hilton Head Prep (SC)) both tied for 26th with 235 totals. Brophy fired rounds of 77, 78 and 80, while Wetzel posted a 79 in the first round followed by identical scores of 78 in the second and third rounds.
The Fighting Irish have now won three tournaments in a season for just the fourth time in the 20-year history of the program. Notre Dame won four events during both the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. The Irish won three tournaments during the 2000-01 campaign.
Full results of the Wolverine Invitational are available at Golfstat.com and mgoblue.com. For additional information, log on to und.com or call the Notre Dame athletics hotline at (574) 631-3000.
Notre Dame returns to action at the Lady Paladin Invitational in Greenville, S.C. The tournament, which is hosted by Furman University, will take place Oct. 19-21.
Wolverine Invitational (U-M Golf Course – Ann Arbor, Mich. Par 71, 6,098-yards)
Final Team Scores (54-hole totals): 1. Notre Dame 904 (303-297-304), 2. Wisconsin 908 (310-297-301), 3. Indiana 916 (306-302-308), 4. Michigan 921 (295-303-323), 5. Eastern Michigan 924 (305-307-312), 6t. SMU 926 (306-300-320), 6t. Tulsa 926 (313-306-307), 8. Cincinnati 947 (315-314-318), 9. Bradley 955 (321-315-319), 10. Toledo 969 (321-315-333)
Top-5 Golfers (of 60): 1. Stephany Fleet (Eastern Michigan) 219 (72-70-77), 2t. Kate Ackerson (SMU) 221 (74-71-76), 2t. Lisa Maunu (Notre Dame) 221 (74-72-75), 2t. Laura Nochta (Indiana) 221 (75-71-75), 5. So-Hyun Park (Notre Dame) 222 (74-71-77)
Notre Dame Scores: 2t. Lisa Maunu 221 (74-72-75), 5. So-Hyun Park 222 (74-71-77), 9t. Katie Conway 228 (78-76-74), 26t. Annie Brophy 235 (77-78-80), 26t. Kristin Wetzel 235 (79-78-78)