Oct. 18, 2005
ROGERS, Ark. – The Notre Dame women’s golf team fired an impressive six-over par 294 during Tuesday’s third and final round of the Tyson/Embassy Suites Invitational at the par 72, 6,013-yard Pinnacle Country Club. The Fighting Irish, playing in their toughest tournament so far this season, finished the event in second place with an 896 total and 20-shots behind the host school and champion Arkansas. Senior Katie Brophy (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) was the top finisher for Notre Dame as she carded a six-over par 222 (71-77-74) to place eighth overall.
The Razorbacks, who are ranked third nationally according to Golfstat.com, used a tournament-best two-under par 286 on Tuesday to distance themselves from the rest of the 16-team field to take the crown. Arkansas finished with a 12-over par 876 total for the 54-hole event. Ashley Medders from Arkansas won the individual title by registering a four-under par 212 (72-71-69).
“About halfway through today we knew Arkansas was running away with it, so we were shooting for second,” said Notre Dame head coach Debby King following Tuesday’s play. “We knew we could shoot a good score and we did.”
Junior Noriko Nakazaki (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates) finished one shot behind her teammate Brophy with a seven-over par 223 (75-73-75) to place ninth. Nakazaki has finished in the top-10 in three of the four tournaments so far this season. Brophy has placed in the top-10 in two events this fall.
“This was a really good tournament for us,” Brophy said. “We were really focused and just tried to stay focused on each shot. We just wanted to stay in the present moment and current shot. We’ve been a lot more positive this year and we aren’t afraid of taking bad shots. We have a lot more positive mindset and we know we are contenders.”
Irish sophomore Jane Lee (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Peninsula) carded rounds of 75, 76 and 75 to post a 10-over par 226 total to place in a tie for 14th. Senior Lauren Gebauer (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) shot a career-best round on Tuesday with a two-under par 70, which was the top score of the tournament for the Irish. Gebauer began the day in a tie for 54th but finished the invitational in a tie for 20th with a 229 (78-81-70).
Freshman Lisa Maunu (St. Thomas, Ontario/Parkside Collegiate Institute) matched the best round of her brief Notre Dame career with a three-over par 75 during the third round. She finished the tournament with a 16-over par 232 (80-77-75) score and tied for 33rd. Senior co-captain Suzie Hayes (Dublin, Ireland/Loreto College) played as an individual entrant during the invitational and ended with a 27-over par 243 (81-79-83) and in a tie for 67th.
“I felt the golf course was playing a little tricky,” Nakazaki commented. “It was a placement course. You had to be smart and put the ball in the right place or else you’d be in trouble. Overall I thought we did a good job and I was happy with how we did.”
Notre Dame will return to the links Oct. 31-Nov. 2 in Las Vegas, Nev. The Irish will compete in the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown at the Anthem Country Club.
“It was good to do so well here before we go to Vegas,” King said. “The Las Vegas tournament will be our toughest tournament of the semester and it’s good that we’ll have a lot of confidence heading into it.”
For additional information on the Notre Dame women’s golf team, please log on to und.com or call the Notre Dame athletics hotline at (574) 631-3000.
Tyson/Embassy Suites Invitational (Pinnacle Country Club Golf Course – Rogers, Ark., Par 72, 6,013-yards)
Final Team Scores (54-hole totals): 1. Arkansas 876 (291-299-286), 2. Notre Dame 896 (299-303-294), 3. Kentucky 906 (311-291-304), 4. Nebraska 911 (298-313-300), 5. Augusta State 915 (303-310-302), 6. Illinois State 916 (313-302-301), 7. Iowa 917 (304-302-311), 8. Kansas 918 (303-309-306), 9. Kansas State 919 (306-315-298), 10. Wisconsin 939 (307-316-316), 11. Michigan 941 (315-310-316), 12. Iowa State 942 (320-310-312), 13. Oral Roberts 947 (317-325-305), 14. Missouri State 952 (315-316-321), 15. Southern Mississippi 957 (304-320-333), 16. Wichita State 971 (329-320-322).
Top-10 Golfers (54-hole totals): 1. Ashley Medders (Arkansas) 212 (72-71-69), 2t. Stacy Lewis (Arkansas) 215 (72-73-70), 2t. Courtney Mahon (Arkansas) 215 (71-71-73), 4. Amanda Costner (Kansas) 216 (70-72-74), 5. Amanda McCurdy (Arkansas) 218 (72-78-68), 6. Samantha Richdale (Illinois State) 219 (73-72-74), 7. Sally Hinton (Missouri State) 220 (74-72-74),8. Katie Brophy (Notre Dame) 222 (71-77-74), 9. Noriko Nakazaki (Notre Dame) 223 (75-73-75), 10t. Elli Brown (Nebraska) 224 (73-78-73), 10t. Amy Riepma (Iowa) 224 (73-73-78).
Notre Dame Final Scores (54-hole totals): 8. Katie Brophy 222 (71-77-74), 9. Noriko Nakazaki 223 (75-73-75), 14t. Jane Lee 226 (75-76-75), 20t. Lauren Gebauer 229 (78-81-70), 33t. Lisa Maunu 232 (80-77-75), 67t. Suzie Hayes* 243 (81-79-83).
*-playing as an individual entrant
— ND –