April 7, 2002
Bloomington, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s golf team shot rounds of 326 and 328 for a 36-hole total of 654 after 36 holes at the 22nd Indiana Invitational on Saturday. The Irish go into Sunday’s final round of play trailing the host school Indiana by 46 strokes. The Hoosiers are 16-over par with a 608 total (303-305).
Indiana leads Illinois by seven strokes as the Illini shot a 36-hole total of 615 (307-308) at the par 74, 6,134-yard Indiana University Golf Course. Three strokes behind Illinois is third-place Michigan with a 618 (312-306) total.
Rounding out the top five are fourth-place Kent State and fifth-place Michigan State. The Flashes turned in a 620 total two rounds of 310. The Spartans are three strokes behind Kent and 15-strokes behind Indiana with a 623 (310-313) score.
Individually, three golfers go into the final round tied for the lead with one-over par 149 totals. Indiana’s Karen Dennison led after the first round with an opening-round 71. She followed that with a second round 78. Dennison is tied with Illinois’ Marla Cox (75-74) and Michigan State’s Emily Bastel (74-75). Three golfers stand two strokes off the lead in fourth place. Michigan’s Kim Benedict (76-75), Indiana’s Mary Lidester (79-72) and Illinois’ Laurin Kanda (76-75) all have three-over par 151.
For the Irish, freshman Karen Lotta (Los Angeles, Calif.) tied for 39th after 36 holes with rounds of 78 and 84 for a 162, 13 strokes behind the leaders.
Sophomores Rebecca Rogers (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Shannon Byrne (Arlington Heights, Ill.) tied for 58th and 60th respectively. Rogers shot a 165 (83-82) while Byrne had rounds of 80 and 86 for a 166.
Junior Terri Taibl (Elm Grove, Wis.) fired rounds of 85 and 82 for a 167 total and was tied for 63rd after two rounds. She was followed by Kristin McMurtrie (Sr., Calgary, Alb.) who was tied for 69th with a 169 (89-80). Senior Lauren Fuchs (Louisville, Ky.) rounded out the Irish contingent shooting a 174 on rounds of 89 and 85.
TEAM RESULTS (36-hole totals): 1. Indiana 303-305-608, 2. Illinois 307-308-615, 3. Michigan 312-306-618, 4. Kent State 310-310-620, 5. Michigan State 310-313-623, 6. Wisconsin 312-313-625, 7. Arkansas-Little Rock 314-320-634, t8. Missouri 320-322-642, Iowa 315-327-642, 10. Minnesota 323-321-644, 11. Ohio University 331-317-648, 12. Notre Dame 326-328-654, 13. Kansas 329-329-658, 14. Illinois State 335-336-671.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 84): t1. Marla Cox (Illinois) 75-74-149, Emily Bastel (Michigan State) 74-75-149, Karen Dennison (Indiana) 71-78-149, t4. Kim Benedict (Michigan) 76-75-151, Mary Lidester (Indiana) 79-72-151, Laurin Kanda (Illinois) 76-75-151, t7. Martina Gillen (Kent State) 76-76-152, Katie Connelly (Wisconsin) 76-76-152, 9. Malinda Johnson (Wisconsin) 77-76-153. 10. Maria Jose Furtado (Arkansas-Little Rock) 77-77-154.
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 84): t39. Karen Lotta 78-84-162, t58. Rebecca Rogers 83-83-165, t60. Shannon Byrne 80-86-166, t63. Terri Taibl 85-82-167, t69. Kristin McMurtrie 89-80-169, 78. Lauren Fuchs 89-85-174.