Oct. 17, 2012
NORMAN, Okla. – The No. 17/20 University of Notre Dame women’s golf team finished second in a field of 18 teams at the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic as all five Irish golfers improved their scores from round two to finish with a three-day total of 24-over par 888 (289-310-289) on Wednesday afternoon.
The 54-hole tournament was held at the par-72 Jimmy Austin OU Golf Club (6,327 yards) from Oct. 15-17.
The Irish surpassed six ranked teams on the leaderboard and finished behind host No. 18 Oklahoma as the Sooners carded a five-under par 859 (284-295-280) to win the tournament title. Notre Dame held off third-place No. 28 Denver by 10 strokes as the Pioneers carded a 34-over par 898 (290-314-294). Between the five Irish golfers, they recorded six rounds at, or below par, through the tournament. Only five golfers in the field finished at, or below par, for the 54 holes.
Oklahoma’s Chirapat Jao-Javanil was the medalist as she finished seven-under par 209 (70-71-68) just two strokes ahead of Notre Dame freshman Lindsey Weaver (Scottsdale, Ariz.).
Weaver tied for second among 95 participants with Sarah Schober from Redlands Community College (72-70-69) and an under-par total for the second tournament in a row as she carded a career-best five-under par 211 (68-72-71). The pair held off Oklahoma’s Anne Tanguay who finished fourth with a four-under par 212 (70-75-67).
Weaver tied Becca Huffer (’12) and Lisa Maunu (’09) with the third-best 54-hole score in program history. The freshman also ties Huffer for the best runner-up finish in program history since the program first began in fall of 1988. She led the Irish with 13 birdies in the tournament.
With this week’s finish Weaver now has shot five rounds of even or under-par through her first three tournaments covering nine rounds.
“Lindsey (Weaver) is doing a lot of things well, ” says head coach Susan Holt. “Lindsey is disappointed about finishing second again, but she is going to win a tournament, she is too good not too.”
Sophomore Ashley Armstrong (Flossmor, III.) claimed her second even-par 72 round of the fall season and tied for 13th with an eight-over par 224 (75-77-72). She was second on team with eight birdies during the tournament. Armstrong matched her eight-over par 224 scorecard from the first tournament of the year, the Mary Fossum Invitational.
Junior Kristina Nhim (Cypress, Calif.) rose to the occasion on the final day as she fired her best round of the fall season with an even-par 72 topping her previously best of a two-over par 74 that she achieved on Sept. 15 at Forest Akers Golf Course. Overall the veteran finished with an 11-over par 227 (77-78-72) and tied for 30th.
Sophomore Kelli Oride (Lihue, Hawaii) fired a 13-over par 229 (72-83-74) and tied for 43rd. Oride returned to her opening day form with a two-over par 74 on the final day.
Freshman Talia Campbell (Dallas, Texas) carded a 19-over par 235 (74-84-77) and tied for 71st. She bounced back from a tough second round to fire a five-over par 77 on Tuesday afternoon.
“Yesterday it was extremely windy and the conditions were against us,” says Holt. “I am very proud of how we performed today, even with those conditions continuing here in the final day. To be an elite golfer, you have to overcome the hazards that are thrown at you and we did that today. We stay focused, made adjustments and overcame our second-round scores.”
The Irish will conclude the fall portion of their schedule on Friday Oct. 26 as they travel to Wilmington, N.C., for the Landfall Tradition three-day tournament held at the Country Club of Landfall.
TOP FIVE TEAMS: 1. Oklahoma 859 (284-295-280); 2. Notre Dame 888 (289-310-289); 3. Denver 898 (290-314-294); 4. Texas Tech 899 (289-305-305); 5. SMU 901 (298-309-294).
TOP FIVE FINISHERS: 1. Chirapat Jao-Javanil (Oklahoma) 209 (70-71-68); 2. T2. Sarah Schober (Redlands Community College) 211 (72-70-69); T2. Lindsey Weaver (Notre Dame) 211 (68-72-71); 4. Anne Tanguay (Oklahoma) 212 (68-72-71); 5. Kimberly Kaufman (Texas Tech) 216 (68-73-75).
IRISH GOLFERS: T2. Lindsey Weaver 211 (68-72-71); T13. Ashley Armstrong 224 (75-77-72); T30. Kristina Nhim 227 (77-78-72); T43. Kelli Oride 229 (72-83-74); T71. Talia Campbell 235 (74-84-77).
–ND–