Sept. 21, 2015
NORMAN, Okla. – Fueled by flashes of promise and potential throughout a stormy weekend, the University of Notre Dame women’s golf team posted its second consecutive top-five finish to open the 2015-16 season, ending up fifth in the 12-team Schooner Fall Classic that concluded Monday at the Belmar Golf Club (par 71/5,901 yards) in Norman, Oklahoma.
In the process, the Fighting Irish smashed the school 36-hole scoring record, carding a two-day total of 567 (-1) to easily top the old mark of 588 (+20) they set at the 2013 Mercedes-Benz Championship (also played on a par-71 course). It also was the third time in school history Notre Dame finished a tournament below par, and the first since the 2013 BIG EAST Conference Championship when the Fighting Irish shot 861 (-3) en route to their most recent league title.
In addition, Notre Dame’s final-round 281 on Monday was the third-lowest single-round gross score in program history, and lowest since the Fighting Irish closed last year’s Schooner Fall Classic with rounds of 277 and 279 when the tournament was played on a par-70 layout.
Oklahoma State won this year’s Schooner Fall Classic at 554 (-14), seven strokes clear of Texas A&M, while Mississippi State (565) and Kansas (566) just edged out Notre Dame among the top five teams in the event.
“We did a lot of things well in this tournament,” Notre Dame head coach Susan Holt said. “We just didn’t make the birdies we needed to. The course length was shortened and we left too many birdie opportunities out there.”
Freshman Emma Albrecht (Ormond Beach, Fla./Father Lopez) made the most of her first appearance in the Fighting Irish starting lineup, finishing 12th in the 66-golfer field with a 36-hole school-record score of three-under par 139 (71-68). Albrecht, who placed ninth last weekend at Michigan State while playing as an individual competitor, topped the previous school record for 36 holes by two strokes, erasing Katie Brophy’s mark (141/-3) set at the 2004 Jeannine McHaney Invitational.
Furthermore, Albrecht’s final-round 68 tied the sixth-lowest single-round score in program history and lowest since her current senior teammate and captain Talia Campbell (Dallas, Texas/Ursuline Academy) fired a closing 66 (tying the school record) at last year’s Schooner Fall Classic.
Speaking of Campbell, the Fighting Irish veteran and returning all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection turned in another consistent performance, tying for 13th place at one-under par 141 (72-69). Campbell has carded scores of 72 or better in her last four rounds.
Freshman Isabella DiLisio (Hatfield, Pa./Mount Saint Joseph Academy) also delivered a solid effort with her second top-20 showing in as many college tournaments, tying for 16th place at even-par 142 (72-70). Like Campbell, DiLisio has been very reliable in her first two events this year, carding scores of 74 or lower in all five rounds to date.
Sophomore Kari Bellville (Granger, Ind./Penn) continues to show progress in the early going this season, tying for 26th place as an individual at the Schooner Fall Classic with a score of two-over par 144 (74-70). Bellville’s final-round 70 was a career-low single-round mark, one better than her previous total set three times last year, most recently in the opening round of the 2015 ACC Championship.
“Emma, Talia and Isabella played very steady, which is great to see,” Holt said. “I was also happy Kari posted two solid rounds as well.”
Junior Jordan Ferreira (University Place, Wash./Bellarmine Prep) finished the weekend’s action in a 37th-place tie at five-over par 147 (71-76). Freshman Maddie Rose Hamilton (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart Academy) completed the Fighting Irish scoring in a tie for 44th place at 10-over par 151 (77-74).
Notre Dame will have two weeks off before returning to action Oct. 5-6 at the Chip-N-Club Invitational, hosted by the University of Nebraska at the Lincoln (Nebraska) Country Club. It will mark the first time the Fighting Irish have ever played in the Cornhusker State, and it will be the second time in three tournaments this fall they will play at a Big Ten Conference opponent.
“We’ll use these next couple of weeks to continue working on the areas each player needs to focus on before we get ready to play in another challenging tournament out at Nebraska,” Holt said.
For more information on the Notre Dame women’s golf program, visit the women’s golf page on the official Fighting Irish athletics web site (UND.com/ndwomensgolf), sign up to follow the Notre Dame women’s golf Twitter feed (@NDwomensGolf) or register for the Irish ALERT text-messaging system through the “Fan Center” pulldown menu on the front page at UND.com.
Schooner Fall Classic
Sept. 19-21, 2015
Belmar Golf Club (par 71/5,901 yards)
Norman, Oklahoma
FINAL TEAM SCORES (36-hole totals): 1. Oklahoma State 554 (276-278); 2. Texas A&M 561 (287-274); 3. Mississippi State 565 (283-282); 4. Kansas 566 (285-281); 5. NOTRE DAME 567 (286-281); 6. Oklahoma 574 (291-283); 7. (tie) Florida State 581 (300-281) and Kansas State 581 (294-287); 9. Texas State 582 (297-285); 10. UTSA 589 (295-294); 11. Troy 602 (305-297); 12. Tulsa 612 (311-301).
TOP 11 INDIVIDUALS PLUS NOTRE DAME GOLFERS (of 66): 1. Yupaporn Kawinpakom (KU) 131 (63-68); 2. Chih-Min Chen (OSU) 133 (65-68); 3. Madison Talley (KSU) 136 (70-66); 4 .(tie) Hannah Wood (OU) 137 (71-66) and Ariadna Fonseca (KU) 137 (69-68); 6. (tie) Chieh Jessica Peng (MSU) 138 (69-69), Rylee Pedigo (OU) 138 (67-71), Linnea Johansson (OSU) 138 (71-67), Thanya Pattamakijsakul (TAMU) 138 (71-67), Andrea Jonama (TAMU) 138 (67-71) and Matilda Castren (FSU) 138 (71-67); 12. Emma Albrecht (ND) 139 (71-68); 13. (tie) Talia Campbell (ND) 141 (72-69); 16. (tie) Isabella DiLisio (ND) 142 (72-70); 26. (tie) Kari Bellville (ND)* 144 (74-70); 37. (tie) Jordan Ferreira (ND) 147 (71-76); 44. (tie) Maddie Rose Hamilton (ND) 151 (77-74).
* – competing as individual participant
– Chris Masters, Athletics Communications Associate Director