Oct. 19, 2004
Fayetteville, Ark. – Katie Brophy (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) sizzled on day three of the Seventh Annual Lady Razorback Invitational as she fired a career-low tying three-under par 69 to help Notre Dame climb into a fifth-place finish at the par 72, 6,015-yard Pinnacle Country Club on Tuesday afternoon. The junior’s total tied the five-year old Lady Razorback record for low round. Iowa State defeated the 19-team field to win the team title with a 905 (297-304-304) and the Cyclones’ Lisa Meshke established another tournament mark as she carded a three-day total of 215 (70-70-75) to take home the individual crown by six strokes.
Notre Dame registered the low-round of the day with a 12-over par 300 and finished the tournament with a 54-hole total of 922 (+58). Despite the Irish’s tendency to play up and down during the tournament, sophomore Noriko Nakazaki (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates) maintained a consistent level as she carded a pair of 78’s and then finished with a 77 to place in a tie for 22nd. Freshman Jane Lee (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Peninsula) paced the Irish during round one and had a solid day two and ended up tied with her teammate Nakazaki with a 17-over par 233 (77-76-80).
“I started off the day okay but I was not making any putts,” stated Brophy, who finished in a five-way tie for 12th with a 229 (81-79-69). “After the first four holes I got it going and started making every putt. I made seven birdies today, which is the most ever for me, and that was very exciting”
The Irish, who ended up finishing one-stroke better than 15th-ranked Michigan, found themselves in ninth-place following Sunday’s first round. Behind strong play from Karen Lotta (Los Angeles, Calif./Marymount) and Lee, Notre Dame moved up two spots into seventh after day two. Lotta shot a second round total of 75 and ended play in a tie for 44th with a 22-over par 238 (86-75-77). Junior Sarah Bassett (Spokane, Wash./Lewis & Clark) carded her best round of the tournament on day three with a five-over par 77 to finish at 244 (78-89-77).
“We were disappointed in the first round,” commented Irish head coach Debby King following Tuesday’s play. “We just had to get to know the course a little better and we did that. Fifth-place isn’t bad, but anymore I feel like we can win whenever we play. But I’m excited that we jumped from ninth to fifth.”
To follow the Notre Dame women’s golf team throughout the 2004-05 campaign please log on to www.und.com or call the Notre Dame athletics hotline at (574) 631-3000.
Top-10 Team Scores (final 54-hole totals): 1. Iowa State (297-304-304=905), 2. Texas A&M (311-302-303=916), 3. Arkansas (303-310-307=920), 4. Missouri (309-302-310=921), 5. Notre Dame (314-308-300=922), 6. Michigan (306-315-302=923), 7. Illinois State (305-314-308=927), 8. Nebraska (323-305-307=935), 9. Kansas (316-310-312=938), 10. Wisconsin (317-314-317=948).
Top 10 Golfers plus Notre Dame scores (final 54-hole totals): 1. Lisa Meshke (Iowa State) 70-70-75=215, 2t. Christa Spedding (Texas A&M) 78-71-72=221, 2t. Louise Kenney (Iowa State) 73-76-72=221, 4. Brenda Norris (Texas A&M) 74-73-75=222, 5t. Samantha Richdale (Illinois State) 75-73-76=224, 5t. Kelli Strubinger (Missouri) 80-74-70=224, 7. Brianna Broderick (Michigan) 74-77-74=225, 8. Sally Hinton (SMS) 74-77-76=227, 9t. Christi Athas (Iowas State) 76-77-75=228, 9t. Amanda McCurdy (Arkansas) 73-77-78=228, 9t. Amy Schmucker (Michigan) 73-80-75=228, 12t. Katie Brophy (Notre Dame) 81-79-69=229, 22t. Noriko Nakazaki (Notre Dame) 78-78-77=233, 22t. Jane Lee (Notre Dame) 77-76-80=233, 44t. Karen Lotta (Notre Dame) 86-75-77=238, 71t. Sarah Bassett (Notre Dame) 78-89-77=244. — ND –