Feb. 22, 2005
PARRISH, Fla. – An uncharacteristically high third and final round at the Central District Classic resulted in the Notre Dame women’s golf team placing 13th in the spring season-opening event at the par 72, 6,099-yard River Wilderness Golf and Country Club. The Fighting Irish fired a three round total of 939 (313-305-321) and junior co-captain Katie Brophy (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) turned in her 11th career team-leading tournament effort with a 15-over par 231 (77-74-80) to place in a tie for 39th in the team’s first competition since early November.
Missouri, who entered the tournament ranked 13th in the golfstat.com rankings, captured the team title by two strokes over No. 20 Arkansas, 879 to 881. Baylor (892), No. 14 LSU (897) and No. 23 Michigan (899) rounded out the top-five in the field of 15. Arkansas’ Stacy Lewis (72-70-74) and Michigan’s Amy Schmucker (74-72-70) tied for medalist honors with an even-par 216. Lewis’ teammate Amanda McCurdy was one shot back in third out of the field of 75 after posting rounds of 71, 75 and 71.
“We went into this tournament with the wrong attitude,” commented Brophy following the conclusion of play. “We didn’t have the confidence we’ve had in prior tournaments or that we hope to have in tournaments to come.”
Sophomore Noriko Nakazaki (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates) carded the best round of the day for the Irish on Tuesday with a seven-over par 79 and ended up tied for 41st with a 16-over par 232 (78-75-79). Notre Dame freshman Jane Lee (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Peninsula) posted a three-round total of 238 (80-78-80), while her junior teammate Suzie Hayes (Dublin, Ireland/Loreto College) was one shot behind with a 23-over par 239 (79-78-82) to tie for 58th. Completing the field for the 31st-ranked Fighting Irish was sophomore Stacy Brown (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands), who placed 66th overall with rounds of 79, 78 and 85 for a 242 total.
“I did not see a single thing wrong with their swings,” stated Notre Dame head coach Debby King about her team’s performance. “The six inches between their ears is where the problems were. We have to work more on the mental game to help build confidence. The team was just as angry as I was about how they played and that will hopefully make them much more hungry and ready to play at St. Croix.”
The Fighting Irish return to the course on March 11-13 as they take part in the St. Croix Collegiate Classic at the Carambola Golf Club in the U.S. Virgin Islands. To follow the team throughout the 2004-05 season please log on to und.com or call the Notre Dame athletics hotline at (574) 631-3000.
Central District Classic (River Wilderness Golf & Country Club. – Parrish, Fla., Par 72, 6,009-yards)
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (54-hole totals): 1. Missouri 879 (292-295-292), 2. Arkansas 881 (296-293-292), 3. Baylor 892 (300-295-297), 4. LSU 897 (303-296-298), 5. Michigan 899 (307-303-289), 6. Texas A&M 901 (306-304-291), 7. Ohio State 915 (303-310-302), 8. Michigan State 918 (304-313-301), 9. SMU 919 (309-305-305), 10. Texas Tech 922 (311-300-311), 11. Northwestern 923 (317-308-298), 12. Nebraska 925 (306-310-309), 13. Notre Dame 939 (313-305-321), 14. Kansas State 942 (321-321-300), 15. Indiana 967 (316-323-328).
TOP-5 INDIVIDUALS (of 75): 1t. Stacy Lewis (Arkansas) 216 (72-70-74), 1t. Amy Schmucker (Michigan) 216 (74-72-70), 3. Amanda McCurdy (Arkansas) 217 (71-75-71), 4t. Maria Ohlsson (Missouri) 218 (76-70-72), 4t. Sian Reddick (Baylor) 218 (73-72-73).
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 75): 39t. Katie Brophy 231 (77-74-80), 41t. Noriko Nakazaki 232 (78-75-79), 54t. Jane Lee 238 (80-78-80), 58t. Suzie Hayes 239 (79-78-82), 66. Stacy Brown 242 (79-78-85).
— ND –