Oct. 23, 2000
PARRISH, Fla. – Freshman Shannon Byrne turned in one of her top rounds of the season and senior captain Shane Smith continued her solid play while the Notre Dame women’s golf team settled in at 11th place, following first-round action Monday at the Central District Classic.
The tournament-originally scheduled for 36 holes on Monday, with a final round on Tuesday-includes several of the top teams from the Big Ten Conference, plus Kent State, Arkansas and Baylor.
Byrne posted a team-best 79 at the par-72, 6,113-yard River Wilderness Country Club, good for a share of 24th in the 55-player field. Byrne’s 81.00 season stroke average (third-best on the team) includes three sub-80 scores in her last six rounds.
Smith-whose 81.98 career stroke average is on pace to best the Irish record of 82.10, set by 1998 graduate Katie King-opened with an 80, for a share of 34th. Smith, who posted an 80.38 stroke average in 1999-2000, saw her 2000 fall average rise slightly to 79.40 (still below King’s ’97-’98 record of 79.50).
Junior Kristin McMurtrie (83) and sophomore Terri Taibl (89) also counted to the team score in the play-five, count-four format while freshman Rebecca Rogers (90) rounded out the Irish contingent, just one week after winning the Notre Dame Invitational with a three-round 225.
The Irish head into Tuesday’s action within range of several teams, including Illinois (318), Baylor (320) and Wisconsin (321). Northwestern leads the event after an opening-round 300, followed closely by Ohio State (302), Michigan State (303) and Michigan State (304).
OSU’s Ashley Lowery leads the individual competition, followed by Northwestern teammates Lauren Grzebien and Elizabeth Burden (both at 73).
TEAM STANDINGS (18 holes): 1. Northwestern 300, 2. Ohio State 302, 3. Michigan State 303, 4. Michigan 304, 5. Kent State 310, 6. Minnesota 313, 7. Arkansas 315, 8. Illinois 318, 9. Baylor 320, 10. Wisconsin 321, 11. Notre Dame 331.
TOP INDIVIDUALS (of 55): 1. Ashley Lowery (OSU) 72, 2. Lauren Grzebien (NW) 73, Elizabeth Burden (NW) 73, 4. Stacy Snider 74, Mollie Fankhauser (OSU) 74, Courtney Reno (MICH) 74, Misia Lemanski (MICH) 74, 8. Jan Dowling (KENT) 75, Emily Bastel (MSU) 75, Emily Gilley (NW) 75.
NOTRE DAME SCORES: 24. Shannon Byrne 79, 34. Shane Smith 80, 50. Kristin McMurtrie 83, 54. Terri Taibl 89, 55. Rebecca Rogers 90.