Feb. 20, 2007
PARRISH, Fla. – The Notre Dame women’s golf team shot a 310 during the final round of play at the Central District Classic on Tuesday to conclude the two-day tournament with three-round total of 922 (309-303-310) and in 10th place. Texas A&M topped the 14-team field with a 10-over par 874 (291-296-287) at the par 72, 6,099-yard River Wilderness Golf Club. This was the first tournament of the spring season for the Fighting Irish.
Ashley Knoll made it a sweep for Texas A&M as she took home medalist honors with a seven-under par 209 (67-73-69), which included the tournament’s low round of 67 during the first 18 holes of play on Monday. She helped the Aggies record the top team round of the event, a one-under par 287 during Tuesday’s third round. Michigan State’s Sara Brown was the runner-up with a one-under par 215 (71-70-74).
Senior co-captain Noriko Nakazaki (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates) and freshman Julie Kim (Bayside, N.Y./Bayside) led the Fighting Irish as they both posted 230 (+14) totals. Nakazaki carded rounds of 75, 75 and 80 to collect her fifth team-leading effort, out of six tournaments, of the 2006-07 campaign. Kim, who was playing in her first college tournament, fired rounds of 76, 73 and 81 to join her teammate in a tie for 30th out of the field of 73.
Irish freshman Annie Brophy (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) matched her team’s low round of the day as she posted a four-over par 76. She concluded the event with a 15-over par 231 (79-76-76) to tie for 36th place. Her classmate Kristin Wetzel (Middletown, N.Y./Hilton Head Prep) also shot a 76 on Tuesday and finished tied for 46th with a 234 (79-79-76) total.
Completing the Notre Dame lineup was sophomore Lisa Maunu (St. Thomas, Ontario/Collegiate Parkside Institute), who recorded a third-round score of 78 to finish with a 254 (89-87-78).
No. 20 Michigan State, the host school for the event, posted an 887 (296-297-294) for the tournament to finish in second place and 13 shots in back of Texas A&M. Baylor (905), TCU (906) and Michigan (908) rounded out the top five. The Spartans were the highest-ranked team in the field, while the Aggies are No. 24 in the latest Golfstat rankings.
Notre Dame returns to the course on March 12-14 at the UNLV Spring Invitational in Boulder City, Nev. The event will be held at the Boulder Creek Golf Club. For additional information, log on to und.com or call the Notre Dame athletics hotline at (574) 631-3000.
Central District Classic (River Wilderness Golf Club – Parrish, Fla. Par 72, 6,099-yards)
Team Scores (Final 54-hole totals): 1. Texas A&M 874 (291-296-287), 2. Michigan State 887 (296-297-294), 3. Baylor 905 (302-307-296), 4. TCU 906 (311-301-294), 5. Michigan 908 (306-308-294), 6. LSU 909 (310-298-301), 7t. Arkansas 914 (308-303-303), 7t. Northwestern 914 (304-306-304), 9. Texas 920 (295-312-313), 10. NOTRE DAME 922 (309-303-310), 11. Missouri 927 (308-309-310), 12. SMU 940 (321-306-313), 13. Nebraska 946 (320-316-310), 14. Tulsa 948 (313-313-322)
Top-5 Golfers (Final 54-hole totals): 1. Ashley Knoll (Texas A&M) 209 (67-73-69), 2. Sara Brown (Michigan State) 215 (71-70-74), 3.Gemma Webster (Ohio State) 216 (73-74-69), 4. Allison Martin (Baylor) 217 (71-76-70), 5. Kate Ackerson (SMU) 220 (74-71-75)
Notre Dame Scores (Final 54-hole totals): 30t . Julie Kim 230 (76-73-81), 30t. Noriko Nakazaki 230 (75-75-80), 36t. Annie Brophy 231 (79-76-76), 46t. Kristin Wetzel 234 (79-79-76), 71t. Lisa Maunu 254 (89-87-78)