April 10, 2007
CARMEL, Ind. – Noriko Nakazaki (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates) shot an even-par 72 during Tuesday’s second and final round of the Indiana Invitational at the 5,938-yard Crooked Stick Golf Club to finish tied for second with a three-over par 147. The senior co-captain helped Notre Dame post a 302 (+14) on the day and finish the event in fifth place with a 36-hole score of 612. Michigan took the team title with a 603 total.
Yesterday’s action was supposed to feature two rounds of play, yet inclement weather forced the start time to be moved back and only one round could be completed. The tournament consisted of only 36 holes, instead of 54, with the final round taking place on Tuesday.
Michigan posted a tournament-best score of 295 (+7) on Tuesday to surge to the top of the 17-team field. No. 23 Michigan State, the highest-ranked team in the event, finished second with a 606, while Illinois and Oregon rounded out the top-four teams with respective scores of 609 and 610.
Illinois’ Seul Ki Park entered the day in first place and would finish a top the leader board by registering her second even-par round of the tournament. Nakazaki and Michigan State’s Rachel Meikle finished three shots in back with 147 totals. Nakazaki’s finish was the top for any Irish golfer this season. Oregon’s Cathryn Bristow and Kimberly McCready both carded the tournament’s top round of 70 on Tuesday.
Fighting Irish freshman Annie Brophy (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) recorded the first top-10 finish of her young career as she tied for ninth with a seven-over par 151 (77-74). Fellow freshman Kristin Wetzel (Middletow, N.Y./Hilton Head Prep) matched Brophy’s two-over par 74 on the day and ended in a tie for 30th with a 155 (81-74).
Julie Kim (Bayside, N.Y./Bayside), the third Irish rookie in the lineup, carded rounds of 78 and 82 to finish tied for 57th with a 160 total. Sophomore Lisa Maunu (St. Thomas, Ontario/Collegiate Parkside Institute) ended the tournament with a 163 (80-83) and tied for 70th to complete the Notre Dame scoring.
Full results of the Indiana Invitational can be found at Golfstat.com. Notre Dame returns to the course on April 22-24 at the 2007 BIG EAST Conference Championship in Louisville, Ky. The event will be held at the Cardinal Club. For additional information on the Notre Dame women’s golf team, log on to und.com or call the Notre Dame athletics hotline at (574) 631-3000.
Indiana Invitational
Crooked Stick Golf Club – Carmel, Indiana Par 72, 5,938-yards
Final Team Scores (36-hole totals): 1. Michigan 603 (308-295), 2. Michigan State 606 (299-307), 3. Illinois 609 (304-305), 4. Oregon 610 (314-296), 5. Notre Dame 612 (310-302), 6. Northwestern 614 (311-303), 7t. Texas 617 (307-310), 7t. Western Michigan 617 (313-304), 9. Indiana 623 (312-311), 10. Iowa 624 (318-306), 11. Minnesota 626 (316-310), 12. Iowa State 629 (318-311), 13. Kentucky 635 (310-325), 14. Penn State 639 (327-312), 15t. UNLV 643 (323-320), 15t. Ball State 643 (315-328), 17. Illinois State 647 (322-325)
Top-5 Golfers (out of 92) (36-hole totals): 1. Seul Ki Park (Illinois) 144 (72-72), 2t. Noriko Nakazaki (Notre Dame) 147 (75-72), 2t. Rachel Meikle (Michigan State) 147 (74-73), 4t. Ashley Bauer (Michigan) 148 (74-74), 4t. Cathryn Bristow (Oregon) 148 (78-70)
Notre Dame Scores (36-hole totals): 2t. Noriko Nakazaki 147 (75-72), 9t. Annie Brophy 151 (77-74), 30t. Kristin Wetzel 155 (81-74), 57t. Julie Kim 160 (78-82), 70t. Lisa Maunu 163 (80-83)