Oct. 7, 2017
By Leigh Torbin
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Behind co-medalist Emma Albrecht, the Notre Dame women’s golf team took home its first championship in almost exactly two years as the Irish downed runner-up Wisconsin by four strokes to win the Bettie Lou Evans Invitational.
Entering the day with a four-stroke edge on the 16-team field through 18 holes, Notre Dame carded rounds of 296 and 292 over Saturday’s final 36 holes of play to finish at 872 (+6), outdistancing Wisconsin’s 876 and third-place Penn State’s 880.
Individually, Albrecht carded rounds of 69 and 72 today to cap her 54-hole weekend with a 211 (-5), matching the tally of Kentucky’s Grace Rose for best in the 96-member field.
The tournament was played at the University Club of Kentucky’s Big Blue Course (par 72, 6,221 yards) and was shortened from three days to two due to likely inclement weather on Sunday.
Prior to today, Notre Dame’s last tournament win came when it finished first at the Chip-N Club Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska (Oct. 6, 2015). The last Notre Dame player to take medalist honors was Kristina Nhim, who won the Clover Cup in Mesa, Arizona on March 16, 2014.
“I’m really proud of this team,” head coach Susan Holt said after the final round. “Having the lead after each round is a great accomplishment and not easy to do. They hung in there and played hard in some tough, windy conditions today. It was a real grind playing 11 hours in those conditions. They showed great fight and patience today when they really needed it.”
LEADING THE NOTRE DAME LINEUP
While Albrecht took home co-medalist honors, she was just one of two top five finishers from Notre Dame as Maddie Rose Hamilton tied for fourth with an even-par 216. Notre Dame has not had two individuals finish in the top five of an event since Oct. 5-6, 2015 when the Irish won the team championship at Nebraska’s Chip-N Club Invitational.
“It was a great win for Emma,” Holt added. “She’s really been playing great golf this year and it is great to see her continue her impressive play from last season.”
IRISH SCORECARDS
T1 — Emma Albrecht: 70-69-73=211 (-5)
T4 — Maddie Rose Hamilton: 70-73-73=216 (Even)
T15 — Abby Heck: 72-74-76=222 (+6)
T20 — Isabella DiLisio: 72-80-71=223 (+7)
79 — Alison Snakard: 82-82-80=244 (+28)
I — Mia Ayer: 81-71-78=230 (+14)
TOURNAMENT NOTES
- Emma Albrecht’s 211 is one stroke off of her career low score of 210 set last month at the Minnesota Invitational, and matches the seventh-best 54-hole tally in school history.
- Albrecht posted her seventh under-par round of the season.
- Notre Dame picked up head-to-head wins over four Big Ten teams (Wisconsin, Penn State, Illinois and Indiana) along with homestanding Kentucky of the SEC.
- Isabella DiLisio carded Notre Dame’s best score of the final round with her 71 (-1).
- Notre Dame set a 54-hole Bettie Lou Evans Invitational record with its 872 tally and also with its openong round 284. Albrecht and co-medalist Grace Rose of Kentucky set a tournament record with their matching scores of 211.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Irish close out the fall portion of their schedule on Oct. 27-29 at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, North Carolina. It will mark the seventh consecutive season Notre Dame will play in the tournament.
— ND —
Leigh Torbin, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2013. A native of Framingham, Massachusetts, Torbin graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in sports management. He has previously worked full-time on the athletic communications staffs at Vanderbilt, Florida, Connecticut and UCF.