April 13, 2001
Urbana, Ill. – The University of Notre Dame women’s golf team, led by senior Shane Smith (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and freshman Shannon Byrne (Arlington Heights, Ill.), finished the first round of play at the Illinois Spring Golf Classic in first place with a seven-stroke lead over second place Illinois on Friday. The Irish covered the par 72, 5,842 yard Stone Creek Golf Club with an 18-over par total of 306, their best single round of the spring.
Smith and Byrne, Notre Dame’s top two golfers, will go into Saturday’s final round of play leading the tournament with two-over par totals of 74. Smith, playing in the final event of her collegiate career, shot a 38 on the front nine and closed with a 36 for her 74. Byrne went out in 36 and closed with a 38 to give her the lowest single round of her career. The Irish duo lead Ohio University’s Julee Sovesky and Bradley’s Jenna Cannon, both with 75’s, by one stroke with 18 holes left to play.
Smith has never won a tournament in her three years at Notre Dame with her best finish coming in October of 1999, a fifth-place finish at the Butler Invitational. Byrne’s best finish came at this spring’s William and Mary Invitational where she tied for fourth.
Notre Dame golfers have had success at the Illinois Spring Invitational in the past as Tracy Melby (`98) took medalist honors in 1997 with a 153 total on rounds of 75 and 78.
As a team, the Irish lead Illinois (313) by seven strokes, Ohio University (314) by eight, Grand Valley State (319) by 13 and Illinois State (323) by 17 to round out the top five teams in the 16-team tourney.
Notre Dame has already won two tournaments this season- the most by any Irish women’s golf team – as they captured the Notre Dame Invitational in the fall and then won the William and Mary Invitational two weeks ago in Williamsburg, Va.
Following Smith and Byrne for the Irish was sophomore Terri Taibl (Elm Grove, Wisc.) and senior Danielle Villarosa (Verona, N.J.) who are tied for 17th with seven-over par totals of 79. Freshman Rebecca Rogers (Alpharetta, Ga.) rounds out the Irish golfers as she is tied for 63rd with an 88.
The final round of play at the Stone Creek Golf Club will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning.
TEAM RESULTS (18-hole totals):
1. Notre Dame 306, 2. Illinois 313, 3. Ohio University 314, 4. Grand Valley State 319, 5. Illinois State 323, 6. Bowling Green 324, 7. Eastern Illinois 326, 8. Bradley 327, 9. Western Michigan 328, 10. S.W. Missouri State 329, 11. Cincinnati 332, 12. Xavier 338, 13. Missouri-Kansas City 340, 14. Ferris State 347, Univ. of Indianapolis 347, 16. DePauw University 354.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 84):
1 tie. Shane Smith (Notre Dame) 74, Shannon Byrne (Notre Dame) 74, 3. Julee Sovesky (Ohio University) 75, Jenna Cannon (Bradley) 75, 5. Marla Cox (Illinois) 76, Mari Walters (Illinois) 76, Elizabeth Gummere (Grand Valley State) 76, Nicole Foy (Illinois State) 76, Amanda Minchin (Eastern Illinois) 76, 10. Aimee Fronczak (Ohio University) 77, Jessica Polus (SW Missouri State) 77.
NOTRE DAME SCORES:
1 tie. Shane Smith 74, Shannon Byrne 74, t17. Terri Taibl 79, Danielle Villarosa 79, t63. Rebecca Rogers 88.