May 11, 2013
AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 26 University of Notre Dame women’s golf team finished the third and final day of the 2013 NCAA East Regional Championship at the Auburn University Club with a 44 -over-par 908 (292-304-312) tying for 15th place with No. 44 Central Florida.
The nation’s second-ranked team and defending national champion, Alabama, won the East region shooting a 20-under-par 844 (277-277-290). No. 20 Tulane was the tournament runner-up, carding a 12-under-par 852 (283-285-284).
Host, Auburn, took the final qualifying spot (8th) with a 13-over-par 877 (299-284-294).
Alabama’s Stephanie Meadow was the tournament medalist, firing a 13-under-par 203 (68-66-69). Kelly Shon (Princeton) was the second-place finisher, carding a seven-under-par 209 (71-68-70).
Freshman Lindsey Weaver (Scottsdale, Ariz.) led the Irish on the leader board, carding a six-over-par 222 (72-73-77) and tying for 39th with her sister Lauren Weaver from Northwestern.
Weaver was paired with her sister for the third round on the final day of competition. The sibling rivalry was in full swing as the Weaver sisters sat within three strokes from each other going into the final day.
Weaver made par on her first two holes before being tripped up by a double bogey on hole 12 (par 5). The freshman finished the remaining six holes on the backside at one over, parring her final two holes before switching to the front.
Weaver finished two over on the closing nine holes, making birdie on hole two (par 3) and parring five of her six final holes.
Freshman Talia Campbell (Dallas, Texas) turned in a seven-over-par 223 (71-73-79), tying for 44th.
Campbell made par from holes 11-13, picking up a birdie on hole 14 (par 3) and shooting even par in her final three holes on the back. The Irish rookie parred hole three (par 4) and moved past a pair of bogeys, shooting par on the final four holes.
Throughout the 54 holes played, Campbell fired two-under on the 12 par 5’s she faced.
Junior Kristina Nhim (Cypress, Calif.) finished 13-over-par 229 (74-79-76), tying for 79th.
After going three over on the first four holes, Nhim battled back with a par on hole 14 (par 3), a birdie on hole 15 (par 5) and back-to-back-to-back pars on the final three holes of the back nine.
Nhim was nearly spotless on the front nine surrendering a double bogey on hole 5 (par 4) and parring eight of nine holes.
The junior improved her score from last year’s NCAA regional by 19 strokes.
Sophomore Ashley Armstrong (Flossmoor, Ill.) wrapped up her outing tied for 96th with an 18-over-par 234 (75-79-80).
Armstrong matched her second round score from holes 10-13 as she shot one over through that stretch. The sophomore fell three strokes over on holes 13 and 14, but stayed poised, finishing one under on the final four holes and making birdie on hole 16 (par 5). Armstrong finished her round with five pars on the front side.
Sophomore Kelli Oride (Lihue, Hawaii) filled in a 28-over-par 244 (80-82-82) on her scorecard, tying for 114th.
Oride parred four holes on the back nine before switching to the front.
Oride opened up her final round with three-straights pars from holes 10-12, improving by three strokes in that stretch from yesterday’s effort.
The sophomore matches the five pars she gathered during yesterday’s round on the front, parring her final three holes.
The Irish finish the season at 119-46-1 (.717). The 2013 BIG EAST champions extended its streak to sixth straight NCAA regional tournament appearances this year and achieved its eighth invite into the tournament overall as a team in the history of the program.
Notre Dame achieved the second-best team score in the history of the program at the NCAA regionals and was 28 strokes better than last year’s score.
Teams (Top-10): 1. Alabama (844/-20), 2. Tulane (852/-12), T3. Arkansas (864/E), T3. Oklahoma State (864/E), 5. Texas (871/+7), 6. Northwestern (874/+10), 7. UCLA (875/+11), 8. Auburn (877/+13), 9. Tennessee (880/+16), 10. North Carolina (887/+23).
Individuals (Top-5): Meadow (Alabama) 203/-13, 2. Shon (Princeton) 209/-7, 3. Opfer (Tulane) 210/-6, T4. Kirby (Alabama) 211/-5, T4. Penttila (Tulane) 211/-5, T4. Talley (Alabama) 211/-5.
Notre Dame: T39. Lindsey Weaver 223/+6, T44. Talia Campbell 223/+7, T79. Kristina Nhim 229/+13, T96. Ashley Armstrong 234/+18, T114. Kelli Oride 244/+28
–ND–