May 10, 2007
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Notre Dame senior Noriko Nakazaki (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates) carded a one-over par 72 during Thursday’s first round of the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Central Regional at the par 71, 6,116-yard University of Michigan Golf Course. Nakazaki is in an eight-way tie for 13th place, which is five shots off the lead, heading into Friday’s second round.
Vanderbilt’s Jacqui Concolino leads the 107-golfer field after posting a four-under par 67 on the day. Taylor Leon from Georgia, Catherine Matranga from TCU and Belen Mozo from Southern California are all tied for second with identical scores of 68.
Nakazaki started the day on the back nine of the course and carded pars on her first two holes before posting birdies on holes 12 (par 3) and 13 (par 4). Following a bogey on No. 14, Nakazaki recorded pars on the next two holes. The senior co-captain made the turn with an even-par 35 following a bogey and a par.
At the par-five hole No. 1, Nakazaki registered a six, yet would make up the shot with a birdie on No. 3, which followed a par on the second hole. She also carded a par on No. 4 before her only double-bogey of the day occurred on the par-3 fifth hole. A par on No. 6 preceded birdies on the next two holes. She finished the day with a bogey on hole No. 9.
Nakazaki, who is the first golfer in program history to qualify for the NCAAs as an individual competitor, is playing in her third NCAA Regional. She carded a three-round score of 233 (+20) as a freshman during the 2004 NCAA Central Regional and followed that up with a 230 (+14) at the 2005 Central Regional. Both of those scores were team-leading marks. Nakazaki’s one-over par round of 72 on Thursday is her top round in NCAA play.
The senior co-captain is on pace to establish the Notre Dame career scoring mark along with eclipsing her own school record for single-season stroke average. She currently carries a 75.73 career scoring average and a season mark of 74.62.
There are three regional sites for the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship. The top eight teams from each regional along with the top two individuals, who are not on an advancing team, will participate in the championships finals, which will be held May 22-25 at the LPGA International Legends Course in Daytona Beach, Fla. The finals are hosted by the University of Central Florida and the Central Florida Sports Commission.
The second round of the 2007 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Central Regional will take place on Friday and the third and final round will be held on Saturday. Tee times, live scoring and full results of the tournament can be found at www.golfstat.com. For additional information please log onto und.com.
NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Central Regional
(University of Michigan Golf Course – Ann Arbor, Mich., Par 71, 6,116-yards)
Top-4 Golfers (18-hole totals): 1. Jacqui Concolino (Vanderbilt) 67, 2t. Taylor Leon (Georgia) 68, 2t. Catherine Matranga (TCU) 68, 2t. Belen Mozo (Southern California) 68, 13t. Noriko Nakazaki (Notre Dame) 72