March 25, 2003
Boerne, Texas – The Notre Dame women’s golf team shot a final round of 319 on Tuesday to finish with a 54-hole total of 963 (318-326-319) to finish eighth at the Baylor – Tapito Springs Shootout. The Irish finished 45 strokes behind tournament champion, Illinois, as the Illini fired a final round 297 to move from third to first in the final 18 holes of play. The tournament, hosted by Baylor University, was played at the par 72, 6,007-yard Tapito Springs Resort.
Illinois started the day, five strokes behind Missouri, but the Tigers shot a final round of 305 to lose by three strokes. Illinois finished with a 918 total (311-310-297) and Missouri fired rounds of 311, 305 and 305 for their 54-hole total of 921. Baylor finished third with a 923 (312-310-301), with Texas Christian fourth (935 – 298-319-308) and Kent State fifth with a 942 (315-316-304).
Individually, freshman Katie Brophy (Spokane, Wash.) finished in a four-way tie for 17th to be the top finisher for the Irish. Her final round 78 gave her a 19-over par 235, 14 strokes behind tourney medalist, DRae Ward of TCU who fired rounds of 68, 75 and 78 for a five-over par 221. That gave her a one-stroke win over Illinois’ Renata Young who finished with a 222(76-72-74). Randi Gauthier of North Texas and Malinda Johnson of Wisconsin finished tied for third with an eight-over par 224. Gauthier shot 75-74-75 for her 224, while Johnson had the low round of the day on Tuesday with a 71 to give her a 76-77-71 string for her 54-hole mark of 224. Baylor’s Melanie Hagewood was fifth with a 225 (77-77-71).
Following Brophy for the Irish was senior Terri Taibl (Elm Grove, Wis.) who had the lowest round of the day for the Irish contingent with a three-over par 75. She finished tied for 26th with a 238 (79-84-75). Junior Shannon Byrne (Arlington Heights, Ill.) tied for 41st with a 54-hole total of 244 (81-82-81) and she was followed by Sarah Bassett (Fr., Spokane, Wash.) who tied for 45th with a 248 (78-85-85).
Sophomore Karen Lotta (Los Angeles, Calif.) tied for 54th with a 253 (82-86-85) and Lauren Gebauer (Fr., Columbus, Ohio) finished the tournament in 58th with a 256 (87-83-86).
Notre Dame is next in action on Saturday, April 5, when the Irish travel to Bloomington, Ind., to participate in the Indiana Invitational. The 54-hole tournament will be played at the Indiana University Golf Course.
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (54-hole totals): 1. Illinois 311-310-297-918; 2. Missouri 311-305-305-921; 3. Baylor 312-310-301-923; 4. Texas Christian 298-319-308-925; 5. Kent State 315-316-304-935; 6. Wisconsin 313-332-297-942; 7. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 318-327-309-954; 8. Notre Dame 318-326-319-963; 9. McLennan Community College 321-332-313-966; 10. North Texas 329-325-314-968; 11. Texas-El Paso 327-326-316-969; 12. Texas-Pan American 335-335-333-1003.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 69): 1. DRae Ward (TCU) 68-75-78-221; 2. Renata Young (Illinois) 76-72-74-222; t3. Randi Gauthier (North Texas) 75-74-75-224; Malinda Johnson (Wisconsin) 76-77-71-224; 5. Melanie Hagewood (Baylor) 77-77-71-225, 6. Hanna Svenningborn (Baylor) 75-79-72-226; 7. Kelli Strubinger (Missouri) 71-75-81-227; 8. Heather MacRae (MCC) 76-77-75-228; t9. Veronica Drouin (Kent State) 79-76-74-229, Brooke Tull (TCU) 77-78-74-229.
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 69): t17. Katie Brophy 80-77-78-235; t26. Terri Taibl 79-84-75-238; t41. Shannon Byrne 81-82-81-244; t45. Sarah Bassett 78-85–85-248, t54. *Karen Lotta 82-86-85-253; 58. Lauren Gebauer 87-83-86-256.
*individual entrants