Sept. 30, 2000
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Notre Dame women’s golf team improved six strokes in second-round action but fell two spots back in the standings, as the Irish sit in 14th place heading into Sunday’s final round at the Midwest’s annual rotating tournament, the Lady Northern Intercollegiate.
Notre Dame senior captain Shane Smith entered the day tied for seventh after an opening-round 77 at the par-72, 5.979-yard University of Minnesota Golf Course but dropped into a share of 47th with a second-round 83 (for a 160 total). Notre Dame’s second-round 322 in the play-six, count-four format also included a 78 from Shannon Byrne (162 total), an 80 from fellow freshman Rebecca rogers (163) and an 81 from sophomore Priscilla Ro (166). Junior Kristin McMurtrie (87-171) and freshman Jeanne Murphy (86-172) round out the Irish contingent.
Wisconsin holds a four-stroke cushion on Notre Dame heading into the final round (646-650) while Northern Iowa lurks one shot behind the Irish in the 16-team field. Ohio State (298-608) surged past Purdue (301-610) atop the team leaderboard.
OSU’s Mollie Fankhauser (72-145) continues to lead the individual competition, followed by Indiana’s Natalie Tucker (72-1480 and Purdue’s Katie Kinsinger (74-149).
TEAM STANDINGS (36 of 54 holes): 1. Ohio State 310-298/608, 2. Purdue 309-301/610, 3. Northwestern 314-299/613, 4. Minnesota 312-302/614, 5. Kent State 311-304/615, 6. Indiana 314-302/616, 7. Michigan State 321-298/619, 8. Michigan 315-308/623, 9. Penn State 322-313/635, 10. Iowa 324-315/639, 11. Ohio 331-309/640, 12. Illinois 323-321/644, 13. Wisconsin 334-312/646, 14. Notre Dame 328-322/650, 15. Northern Iowa 332-319/651, 16. Illinois State 335-321/656.
TOP INDIVIDUALS (of 96): 1. Mollie Fankhauser (OSU) 73-72/145, 2. Natalie Tucker (IND) 76-72/148, 3. Katie Kinsinger (PUR) 75-74/149, 4. Kasey Gant (MSU) 79-72/151, Cindy Cannon (MINN) 78-73/151, 6. Christie Hermes (NW) 78-74/152, Kari Damron (PUR) 75-77/152, Martina Gillen (KENT) 78-74/152, 9. Veronique Drouin (KENT) 75-78/153, Emily Bastel (MSU) 80-73/153, Hana Kim (NW) 79-74/153.
NOTRE DAME SCORES: 47. Shane Smith 77-83/160, 60. Shannon Byrne 84-78/162, 64. Rebecca Rogers 83-80/163, 75. Priscilla Ro 85-81/166, 87. Kristin McMurtrie 84-87/171, 90. Jeanne Murphy 86-86/172.