Oct. 8, 2001

Franklin, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s golf team struggled through the opening rounds of the Legends of Indiana Tournament on Monday and finished the opening two rounds of play with a 36-hole total of 634 on rounds of 309 and 325. The Irish will enter Tuesday’s final round of play 56 strokes behind tournament leader Wisconsin as the Badgers turned in identical 289’s for a 578 total. They lead second place Michigan by six strokes on the par 72, 6,076-yard Legends of Indiana Course.

Notre Dame’s top golfer for the day was senior Kristin McMurtrie (Calgary, Alb.) who is tied for 30th with her two best rounds of the fall. McMurtrie turned in rounds of 75 and 76 for a seven-over par mark of 151, 11 strokes behind tournament leader Martina Gillen of Kent State who checks in with a four-under par 140. She owns a one stroke lead over Wisconsin’s Emily Hendricks who has a 36-hole total of 141 (71-70).

Trailing Wisconsin and Michigan in third place is Kent State with a 585 total (294-291) which puts the Golden Flash one stroke behind Michigan and seven behind Wisconsin. Indiana is fourth with a 594 (295-299) and Texas A&M rounds out the top five with a 596 (302-294).

For the Irish, freshman Karen Lotta (Los Angeles, Calif.) and sophomore Shannon Byrne (Arlington Heights, Ill.) are tied for 81st with 160 totals. Lotta fired rounds of 76 and 84 while Byrne opened with an 81 and followed with a 79.

Senior Lauren Fuchs (Louisville, Ken.) is tied for 89th with rounds of 78 and 86 for a 164 and Jeanne Murphy (Fr., Alexandria, Va.) rounds out the Irish contingent tied for 93rd with a 167 (80-87).

TEAM RESULTS (36-hole totals): 1. Wisconsin 289-289-578, 2. Michigan 290-294-584, 3. Kent State 294-291-585, 4. Indiana 295-299-594, 5. Texas A&M 302-294-596, 6. Missouri 298-301-599, 7. Purdue 297-305-602, t8. Penn State 296-309-605, Louisville 301-304-605, t10. Iowa 302-305-607, Illinois 299-308-607, t12. Toledo 297-311-608, Iowa State 305-303-608, Campbell 303-305-608, 15. Minnesota 304-305-609, 16. Kansas 307-311-618, 17. Wichita State 317-313-630, 18. Arkansas 319-312-631, 19. Notre Dame 309-325-634.

TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 96): 1. Martina Gillen (Kent State) 71-69-140, 2. Emily Hendricks (Wisconsin) 71-70-141, Kim Benedict (Michigan) 68-74-142, t4. Nisha Sadekar (Missouri) 70-74-144, Kari Damron (Purdue) 74-70-144, Katie Connelly (Wisconsin) 71-73-144, t7. Malinda Johnson (Wisconsin) 73-72-145, Misia Lemanski (Michigan) 75-70-145, Mary Lidester (Indiana) 73-72-145, Jan Dowling (Kent State) 70-75-145.

NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 96): t30. Kristin McMurtrie 75-76-151, t81. Karen Lotta 76-84-160, Shannon Byrne 81-79-160, t89. Lauren Fuchs 78-86-164, t93. Jeanne Murphy 80-87-167.