Nov. 1, 2005
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Senior Lauren Gebauer (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) fired an even-par 72 to lead the Fighting Irish women’s golf team to a seven-over par 295 during the second round of the Las Vegas Founders Collegiate Showdown at the Anthem Country Club on Tuesday. Notre Dame currently resides in eighth-place out of the 16-team field with a 594 heading into Wednesday’s third and final round. The Fighting Irish have now fired three consecutive rounds under 300 and eight for the season.
“What’s neat is that every time the team comes in after a round they still think about some shots that they could have done better,” stated Irish head coach Debby King. “It’s all a mindset thing. The good teams always shoot under 300 and the really good teams dip below 290 and that’s our goal tomorrow, to break 290.”
UCLA, the third-ranked team nationally according to golfstat.com, increased its advantage over the field with a three-under par 285 on Tuesday. The Bruins have a two-round total of 564, while No. 20 Arizona is second with a 576 and No. 4 Pepperdine is third with a 579. Colorado State’s Chelsea Benton tied the tournament’s low-round on Tuesday as she fired a five-under par 67 and currently leads the 85-golfer field with a 136 (-8) total.
Notre Dame’s Jane Lee (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Peninsula) and Noriko Nakazaki (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates) are tied for 22nd-place overall with three-over par 147 totals. Lee has carded rounds of 74 and 73, while Nakazaki has posted a 72 and 75.
Senior co-captain Katie Brophy (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) has carded identical rounds of 75 to currently reside in a tie for 37th with a six-over par 150 total. Gebauer joins her classmate Brophy in the tie for 37th as she carded a 78 on Monday to go along with her 72 on Tuesday. Freshman Lisa Maunu (St. Thomas, Ontario/Parkside Collegiate Institute) dropped two shots off of her first round total with an 80 on the day and resides in 75th with a 162.
“Jane (Lee) and Lauren (Gebauer) have really come a long way,” said King. “Katie (Brophy) and Noriko (Nakazaki) are usually always the steady ones but Jane and Lauren are really doing well. Lisa (Maunu) feels bad but she’s just a freshman. This experience will really help her down the line.”
The third and final round will take place on Wednesday beginning at 8:00 a.m. (PT). For additional information please log on to und.com or call the Notre Dame athletics hotline at (574) 631-3000.
Las Vegas Founders Collegiate Showdown (Anthem Country Club Golf Course – Las Vegas, Nev., Par 72, 6,207-yards)
Top-10 Team Scores (36-hole totals): 1. UCLA 564 (279-285), 2. Arizona 576 (285-291), 3. Pepperdine 579 (288-291), 4. UNLV 581 (291-290), 5. Kent State 587 (288-299), 6. Arkansas 589 (294-295), 7. SMU 592 (307-285), 8. Notre Dame 594 (299-295), 9. Oregon 595 (292-303), 10. Colorado State 599 (295-304)
Top-5 Golfers (36-hole totals): 1. Chelsea Benton (Colorado State) 136 (69-67), 2t. Jane Park (UCLA) 139 (68-71), 2t. Amanda Wilson (Arizona) 139 (68-71), 4t. Da Sol Chung (UNLV) 140 (67-73), 4t. Hannah Jun (UCLA) 140 (70-70)
Other Notre Dame Scores (36-hole totals): 22t. Jane Lee 147 (74-73), 22t. Noriko Nakazaki 147 (72-75), 37t. Katie Brophy 150 (75-75), 37t. Lauren Gebauer 150 (78-72), 75. Lisa Maunu 162 (82-80)
— ND —