March 14, 2004
Notre Dame, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s golf team finished in a three-way tie for fifth place at the inaugural St. Croix Collegiate Classic after shooting a final-round 316 in the 14-team event on Sunday, giving the Irish a 54-hole total of 959 (316-327-316) at the U.S. Virgin Islands tournament. Southern Methodist went wire-to-wire to win the three-day tourney by shooting 916 (296-311-309), 13 strokes better than second-place Baylor (306-314-309-929) and 43 shots ahead of Notre Dame, which ended play tied with tournament-host Xavier University and BIG EAST-rival Boston College. The 54-hole tournament, was played on the par-72, 6,020-yard Robert Trent Jones, Sr., course at the Carambola Golf Club.
Sophomore Lauren Gebauer (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington), playing as an individual entrant, was Notre Dame’s top performer in its spring-opening tournament. Gebauer carded a 21-over par 237 as she shot an 82 in the final 18 holes to go with first- and second-round marks of 79 and 76. Gebauer finished tied in 19th place, 11 shots behind tournament-medalist Samantha Richdale of Illinois State (76-76-74-226), who held off the Mustangs’ Kristina Rothengatte (73-75-79-227) by one stroke, after trailing Rothengatte for first place by four shots heading into the third round.
Leading the Irish scoring five was freshman Noriko Nakazaki (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates), sophomore Katie Brophy (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) and junior Karen Lotta (Los Angeles, Calif./Marymount) – all three golfers concluded the event with a 54-hole total of 240, good for a 26th-place tie. After shooting the worst round of her Notre Dame career in the first round (87), Nakazaki fought back and fired a second-round 79 and a two-over par 74 on Sunday, the low round by an Irish golfer on day three. Brophy carded a pair of 81’s in the final two rounds to go with an opening-round 78 and Lotta registered 18-hole marks of 78, 84 and 78.
Rounding out Notre Dame’s top five in the tournament was freshman Stacy Brown (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands HS) and senior co-captain Shannon Byrne (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove). Brown finished tied for 41st place with scores of 80, 83 and 83 for a 246 total and Byrne had a three-round mark of 258 (80-88-90).
Along with Gebauer, sophomores Sarah Bassett (Spokane, Wash./Lewis and Clark) and Suzie Hayes (Dublin, Ireland/Loreto College) also participated as individuals. Bassett shot a final-round 79 after turning in scores of 81 and 80, giving her a 54-hole total of 239 and placing her in a tie for 24th. Hayes ended her play tied with Brown as she also shot a 246 (76-82-88).
The Irish will next be in action Friday-Sunday, March 19-21, at the prestigious Baylor/Tapito Springs Shootout. The tournament will be hosted by Baylor University in Boerne, Texas.
– ND –
TEAM RESULTS (54-hole totals): 1. Southern Methodist 916 (296-311-309); 2. Baylor 929 (306-314-309); 3. Texas Tech 947 (317-321-309); 4. Illinois State 958 (318-318-322); 5.(tie) Notre Dame 959 (316-327-316), Xavier 959 (326-310-323), Boston College 959 (326-310-323), 8. Illinois 975 (319-328-328); 9. Texas Pan-American 987 (342-328-317); 10. Wyoming 988 (328-323-337); 11. Texas State 993 (336-323-334); 12. Longwood University 1000 (346-332-322); 13. Wichita State 1006 (332-339-335); 14. Rend Lake 1112 (368-370-374).
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 82): 1. Samantha Richdale (Illinois St.) 226 (76-76-74); 2. Kristina Rothengatte (Southern Methodist) 227 (73-75-79); 3.(tie) Ann Rehnholm (Baylor) 228 (79-76-73), Laura Cross (Southern Methodist) 228 (75-79-74); 5. Alison Walshe (Boston College) 230 (77-78-75); 6.(tie) Missy Ryan (Southern Methodist) 231 (73-81-77), Kori Goulet (Boston College) 231 (78-73-80); 8. Jessica Steward (Boston College) 232 (78-76-78); 9.(tie) Tiffany Woodyer (Longwood) 233 (80-76-77), Marla Cox (Illinois) 233 (77-78-78).
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 82): 19.(tie) Lauren Gebauer* 237 (79-76-82); 24.(tie) Sarah Bassett* 239 (81-80-78); 26.(tie) Noriko Nakazaki 166 (87-79-74), Katie Brophy 159 (78-81-81), Karen Lotta 162 (78-84-78); 41.(tie) Stacy Brown 246 (80-83-83), Suzie Hayes* 246 (76-82-88); 59. Shannon Byrne 258 (80-88-90).
* – Individual entrant