April 3, 2004
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – With an outstanding first two rounds of play, sophomore Katie Brophy (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) leads a field of 95 golfers after day one at the Indiana Invitational on Saturday. Brophy carded a two-under par 72 and a second-round 74 for a 36-hole mark of 146 to give her a one-shot advantage over Indiana’s Karen Dennison (76-71–147) and Missouri’s Denise Knaebel (73-74–147). Brophy’s two-under opening round is the lowest below-par round of her collegiate career as well as her second sub-par, 18-hole score since joining the Irish (71/-1, ’03 Edwin Watts/Palmetto Intercollgiate).
Notre Dame is in fourth as a team in the strong 15-team field after shooting totals of 303 and 314 for a two-round, 25-over par score of 617. The Irish’s seven-over par 303 in the first 18 holes is the team’s top round of the spring. Notre Dame sits 12 strokes behind tournament-leader Michigan State, which shot 605 (300-305) on the first day of the 54-hole event being played at the par-74, 6,134-yard Indiana University Golf Course. After the Spartans is Missouri in second with a 612 (301-311), followed by the host Hoosiers at 617 (303-314), two strokes ahead of the Irish.
Brophy will head into Sunday’s final round with hopes of securing her third medalist finish since arriving at Notre Dame as a freshman last season. With her two prior first-place finishes at the 2003 Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational and the 2003 BIG EAST Championship, the sophomore standout already owns the school-record for individual tournament wins.
Following Brophy in Bloomington is junior Karen Lotta (Los Angeles, Calif./Marymount). Lotta is tied for 18th, 10 strokes behind her teammate, after firing rounds of 80 and two-over 76 for a 156 total in the first 36 holes of competition.
Freshman Noriko Nakazaki (Hanover Park, Ill.) is third for the Irish and tied for 24th overall after Saturday’s play. Nakazaki started the day by turning in an impressive one-under par 73 in the opening round, her fourth round below par this season, but struggled in the second 18 holes as she shot an 84 for a 36-hole total of 157.
Senior co-captain Rebecca Rogers (Alpharetta, Ga./Centennial) and sophomore Sarah Bassett (Spokane, Wash./Lewis and Clark) are fourth and fifth, respectively, among Notre Dame golfers. Rogers, who is playing as a member of the scoring lineup for the first time since last spring at the ’03 Peggy Kirk Bell, is tied for 46th with a 162 (80-82). Bassett is one stroke behind Rogers at 163 (81-82), which has her tied for 51st.
In this “six-count-four” tourney, freshman Stacy Brown (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands) rounds out the Irish lineup. Brown has a 36-hole mark of 164 after shooting rounds of 78 and 86.
The final round of the Indiana Invitational will take place on Sunday, April 4, and will get underway with a shotgun start at 8:30 (EST). Results will be available on www.und.com following Sunday’s action.
— ND —
TEAM RESULTS (36-hole totals): 1. Michigan St. 605 (300-305); 2. Missouri 612 (301-311); 3. Indiana 615 (308-307); 4. Notre Dame 617 (303-314), 5. Arkansas-Little Rock 619 (315-304); 6. Iowa 621 (312-309); 7. Kent St. 624 (317-307); 8. Toledo 631 (319-312); 9. Michigan 636 (319-317); 10. Ohio U. 639 (318-321); 11.(tie) Wisconsin 640 (320-320), Illinois St. 640 (321-319); 13. Minnesota 643 (319-324); 14. Marshall 655 (327-328); 15. Eastern Michigan 661 (337-324).
TOP EIGHT INDIVIDUALS (of 95): 1. Katie Brophy (Notre Dame) 146 (72-74); 2.(tie) Karen Dennison (Indiana) 147 (76-71), Denise Knaebel 147 (73-74); 4.(tie) Gabby Wedding (Kent St.) 150 (80-70), Ann Marie Kersten (Michigan St.) 150 (70-80), Breanne Hall (Toledo) 150 (74-76); 7.(tie) Sarah Martin (Michigan St.) 151 (78-73), Dayna Burleigh (Michigan St.) 151 (77-74); 9. Four players tied at 152.
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 95): 1. Katie Brophy 146 (72-74); 18.(tie) Karen Lotta 156 (80-76), 24.(tie) Noriko Nakazaki 157 (73-84); 46.(tie) Rebecca Rogers 162 (80-82); 51.(tie) Sarah Bassett 163 (81-82); 56.(tie) Stacy Brown 164 (78-86).