March 13, 2003
Tampa, Fla. – The Notre Dame women’s golf team fired an opening round of 315 on Thursday afternoon and stands tied with Southern Illinois University, 20 strokes behind frontrunning James Madison University. The Dukes opened with a seven-over par 295 on the par 72, 5,940-yard Pebblecreek Golf Course.
James Madison leads Southern Mississippi and the University of Toledo by 12 strokes as both those schools are tied for second in the 21-team tournament. Notre Dame and Southern Illinois are eight strokes behind them with Lynn University in sixth with a 323 score.
Individually, Irish senior Terri Taibl (Elm Grove, Wis.) shot an opening round of three-over par 75, the best round of her Notre Dame career, and will go into Friday’s final round of play in a three-way tie for fourth place. Taibl is four strokes behind tournament leader Carol Green of James Madison who opened with a one-under par 71.
Green’s teammate, Jessica Lewis is in second place with and even par 72. Katie Schmidt of Toledo is in third with a 73 and Jayme Langord of James Madison and Natasha Vincent of Southern Mississippi join Taibl in fourth with 75s.
Following Taibl for the Irish and in a six-way tie at 10th is freshman Lauren Gebauer (Columbus, Ohio) who shot an opening round of five-over par 77.
After Gebauer, Sarah Bassett (Spokane, Wash.) and Shannon Byrne (Arlington Heights, Ill.), playing as individual entrants are tied for 16th with six-over par rounds of 78.
Following Bassett and Byrne are freshman Suzie Hayes (Dublin, Ireland) with an 81. Katie Brophy (Fr., Spokane, Wash.), who was the individual winner of the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational on Tuesday, fired an 82 as did Lauren Barbir (Fr., Montgomery, Texas) who is playing as an individual entrant.
Karen Lotta (So., Los Angeles, Calif.) shot a 12-over par 84 as a member of the scoring-five and Rebecca Rogers (Jr., Alpharetta, Ga.) closed out the group of nine Irish golfers with a 91. Rogers is playing as an individual entrant.
The 36-hole tournament resumes with the final 18 holes on Friday morning with an 8:00 a.m. shotgun start.
TEAM RESULTS (18-hole totals): 1. James Madison 295; t2. Southern Mississippi 307; Toledo 307; t4. Notre Dame 315; Southern Illinois 315; 6. Lynn University 323; 7. Texas-Pan American 326; 8. Methodist College 327; 9. Ball State 330; 10. Creighton 333; 11. University of Indianapolis 336; 12. Gonzaga 337; 13. Missouri-KC 338; 14. The Citadel 341; 15. Evansville 342; 16. Northern Illinois 344; 17. John A. Logan College 345; t18. Bowling Green 345; Marshall 345; 20. Carthage College 388; 21. Baldwin-Wallace College 449.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 122): 1. Carol Green (James Madison) 71; 2. Jessica Lewis (James Madison) 72; 3. Katie Schmidt (Toledo) 73; t4. Terri Taibl (Notre Dame) 75; Jayme Langord (James Madison) 75; Natasha Vincent (Southern Mississippi) 75; t7. Megan Tarrolly (Southern Illinois) 76; Jennifer Keefe (Southern Mississippi); Sara Boorgard (Toledo) 76; t10. Lauren Gebauer (Notre Dame) 77; Andrea Werner (Evansville) 77.
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 122): t4. Terri Taibl 75; t10. Lauren Gebauer 77; t16. *Sarah Bassett 78; * Shannon Byrne; Suzie Hayes 81; Katie Brophy 82; * Lauren Barbir 82; Karen Lotta 84; * Rebecca Rogers 91.
*individual entrants