Nov. 4, 2003
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – Ending its fall season in much the same way it began, the Notre Dame women’s golf team carded a final-round score of three-over par 291, the second-lowest team score in school history, and cruised to a 16-stroke win on Tuesday at the Edwin Watts/Palmetto Intercollegiate at famed Kiawah Island, S.C. The Irish fired a three-round score of 892, also the second-best in school annals, to easily outdistance Texas Tech (908) and Kansas State (909) for their third tournament victory of the year. That ties the school record for tournament wins in one season, held by the 2000-01 squad, although that club won two of its three titles in the spring.
Playing at the challenging par-72, 5,909-yard Oak Point Golf Club on Kiawah Island, Notre Dame led by two shots over Maryland after the first round on Monday and widened its edge to six strokes over Texas Tech when the second round wrapped up early Tuesday. The Irish then pulled away from the 18-team field in the third and final round with the lowest score of the tournament by any team, led by three players who carded scores of even-par or better over the final 18 holes.
Freshman Stacy Brown (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands HS) and sophomore Katie Brophy (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) paced the Notre Dame scoring, finishing tied for sixth place overall with identical scores of 224. Brown’s final total was the best of her brief college career, while Brophy’s final-round score of one-under par 71 also was the lowest of her Irish career.
Junior Karen Lotta (Los Angeles, Calif./Marymount HS) collected her best-ever tournament score, tying for ninth overall at 225, and her even-par 72 in the third round also matched her career low. Freshman Noriko Nakazaki (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates HS) rebounded from a second-round 80 with a final-round 72 and wound up in 16th place at 227. Meanwhile, senior co-captain Shannon Byrne (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove HS) also recovered from some early difficulties, carding rounds of 74 and 76 on Tuesday to finish tied for 18th overall at 229.
Notre Dame’s victory at Kiawah Island concludes the finest fall season in school history, one that saw the Irish not only win three times, but also post the top four 54-hole team scores in the Notre Dame record book. The Irish also fired the three lowest single-round team scores in school annals, including a record-setting 285 back in September at the season-opening Cougar Classic, which also was held in South Carolina. Notre Dame will open its spring schedule March 11-14, 2004, at the St. Croix Collegiate Classic in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
– ND –
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (54-hole totals): 1. NOTRE DAME 892 (301-300-291); 2. Texas Tech 908 (307-300-301); 3. Kansas State 909 (309-302-298); 4. East Carolina 912 (304-313-295); 5. Coastal Carolina 913 (305-304-304); 6. Maryland 915 (303-306-306); 7. South Florida 920 (306-307-307); 8. Campbell 924 (318-305-301); 9. College of Charleston 926 (306-306-314); 10. Western Carolina 941 (311-310-320); 11. Kansas 944 (314-308-322); 12. UNC Greensboro 951 (321-323-307); 13. Winthrop 952 (319-313-320); 14. Charleston Southern 971 (322-326-323); 15. Arkansas State 973 (322-328-323); 16. Appalachian State 977 (318-330-329); 17. Cincinnati 1019 (342-341-336); 18. The Citadel 1066 (353-355-358).
TOP 8 INDIVIDUALS (of 91): 1. Adrienne Millican (East Carolina) 217 (72-74-71); 2. Sofia Gorelik (Campbell) 219 (75-74-70); 3. (tie) Sapna Patel (College of Charleston) 220 (68-76-76) and Katy Heher (Coastal Carolina) 220 (72-74-74); 5. Christine Boucher (Kansas State) 221 (76-74-71); 6. (tie) Stacy Brown (Notre Dame) 224 (73-73-78), Katie Brophy (Notre Dame) 224 (75-78-71) and Jackie Ey (Texas Tech) 224 (73-79-72).
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 91): 6. (tie) Stacy Brown 224 (73-73-78) and Katie Brophy 224 (75-78-71); 9. (tie) Karen Lotta 225 (78-75-72); 16. Noriko Nakazaki 227 (75-80-72); 18. (tie) Shannon Byrne 229 (79-74-76).