Nov. 2, 2004
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Notre Dame women’s golf team completed a very successful fall campaign by placing sixth with a season-best total of 892 (+28) at the Edwin Watts/Palmetto Intercollegiate on Tuesday afternoon at the par 72, 5,911-yard Kiawah Island Oak Point Golf Course. Sophomore Stacy Brown (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands) was the team’s top-finisher as she placed in a tie for 12th with a career-best six-over par 222 (71-73-78). Campbell University captured the team title with a 22-over par 882 and East Carolina’s Adrienne Millican won the individual crown by shooting a three-under par 213 (70-71-72).
Low scores were the story of the tournament as several of the 18 teams shot sub-300 rounds throughout the two days of play, including the Irish’s second and third round scores of 297 and 295. The third round total was a season-best for the Fighting Irish. Individually, 26 golfers shot an even-par round or lower during the 54-holes of competition. Notre Dame’s Katie Brophy (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) and Jane Lee (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Peninsula) were two of those, along with Brown, who posted even or sub-par rounds. Brophy, a junior, carded a seven-over par 223 (78-71-74) to place in tie for 14th with her freshman teammate Lee (76-75-72). Lee’s third-round score of 72 is a career-best.
“Overall I’m pleased with how I did and how the team did,” commented Brown following the third round of play. “I think that I’m moving in the right direction. We learned a lot and played in a lot of good tournaments this fall. I think the overall attitude of the team is pretty good right now.”
Sophomore Noriko Nakazaki (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates) and junior Suzie Hayes (Dublin, Ireland/Loreto College) saved their best rounds for the final 18-holes of play as they carded a 74 and 75, respectively. Nakazaki finished in a tie for 34th with an 11-over par 227 (75-78-74) and Hayes tied for 50th after shooting a 17-over par 233 (79-79-75).
“It’s a bittersweet ending,” stated Irish head coach Debby King, whose team captured two victories during the fall. “We wanted to finish higher but our best wasn’t good enough. Everyone stepped up and shot really well. We’ll be ready for the spring after playing these six tournaments in the fall. We just have to work on some things like the mental aspect of the game a little more in the off-season.”
Notre Dame opens up the spring slate on February 21, 2005 at the Central District Classic in Parrish, Fla. Continue to follow the Irish throughout the 2004-05 season by logging onto www.und.com or by calling the Notre Dame athletics hotline at (574) 631-3000.
Edwin Watts/Palmetto Intercollegiate (Kiawah Island Oak Point G.C. – Charleston, S.C.)
Top-10 Team Scores (final 54-hole totals): 1. Campbell 882 (298-290-294), 2. Michigan 885 (300-289-296), 3. SMU 888 (304-290-294), 4. Nebraska 889 (307-290-292), 5. Coastal Carolina 890 (301-296-293), 6. Notre Dame 892 (300-297-295), 7. East Carolina 893 (301-295-297), 8. Louisville 895 (298-298-299), 9. College of Charleston 906 (309-296-301), 10. Kansas State 911 (305-297-309).
Top 6 Golfers plus Notre Dame scores (final 54-hole totals): 1. Adrienne Millican (E. Carolina) 70-71-72=213, 2. Merynn Ito (Nebraska) 74-68-73=215, 3t. Adrienne White (Louisville) 72-70-74=216, 3t. Ali Stinson (Michigan) 75-70-71=216, 5t. Alejandra Shaw (Campbell) 74-73-70=217, 5t. Brianna Broderick (Michigan) 72-72-73=217, Notre Dame Scores: 12t. Stacy Brown 71-73-78=222, 14t. Katie Brophy 78-71-74=223, 14t. Jane Lee 76-75-72=223, 34t. Noriko Nakazaki 75-78-74=227, 50t. Suzie Hayes 79-79-75=233.
— ND –