NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Fighting Irish women’s golf team will be back in action this weekend when it makes its annual appearance in the Schooner Fall Classic at the Belmar Golf Club in Norman, Oklahoma.
“We’re looking forward to returning to Norman,” head coach Susan Holt said. “This is a great event with a loaded field and I am excited to watch our players compete against many of the top teams in the country.”
It will mark the sixth consecutive season the Irish will play in the event. Last season, the Irish (291-282-278=851) finished 10th but their final round 278 tied for the second lowest round in program history, while it also tied for the fifth-lowest in relation to par (-6). In fact, the four lowest team rounds in program history have been recorded at the Schooner Fall Classic, while Maddie Rose Hamilton’s second round 65 in 2017 stands as the lowest individual round (based on stroke total).
The Schooner Fall Classic will mark Notre Dame’s second event of the season, having finished 10th at the rain shortened Minnesota Invitational (Sept. 9-10). Lauren Beaudreau (73-74=147) was the top Fighting Irish finisher as she tied for 25th.
After playing as an individual at Minnesota, Jessica Meyers is expected to enter the starting lineup for the first time in her Irish career at Oklahoma. She will join Lauren Beaudreau and Madelyn Jones as part of three freshmen in the starting five.
The 2019 Schooner Fall Classic
Dates: September 27-29, 2019
Format: 54 holes (18 holes each day)
Tee Times: Begin at 10:30 a.m ET on Friday, 10:00 a.m. ET on Saturday and 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
Course (Par/Yardage): Belmar Golf Club (par-70/ 6,048 yards)
Tournament Field (15): Oklahoma (Host), Alabama, Baylor, Clemson, Florida State, Houston, Illinois, Louisville, Miami, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State.
Notre Dame Lineup: Lauren Beaudreau (1), Madelyn Jones (2), Claire Albrecht (3), Abby Heck (4), Jessica Meyers (5). In addition, Mia Ayer will compete as an individual.
Television: Fox Sports Southwest and Fox College Sports Central will broadcast coverage of holes 11, 17 and 18 during Friday’s first round from 1:00 p.m. ET – 4 p.m. ET.
Live Scoring: Golfstat.com
Twitter: @NDwomensGolf
Hashtag: #Schooner19
Folds Of Honor
- The Fighting Irish women’s golf program has teamed up with the Folds of Honor Military Tribute Program (FHMTP) for the 2019-20 season.
- The program provides the opportunity for collegiate golf teams to honor a fallen or severely wounded American soldier by selecting a student-athlete to carry a golf bag displaying the name, rank and branch of service of the soldier being honored throughout the year.
- Fighting Irish senior Mia Ayer will have the honor of carrying Notre Dame’s FHMTP golf bag for the 2019-20 season, which honors the memory of Captain Reid Nishizuka ’05.
- Reid Nishizuka, a U.S. Air Force Captain, died in service to his country on April 27, 2013, near Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Reid was a recipient of 10 Air Medals, two Air Force Commendation Medals, two Air Force Achievement Medals and a Bronze Star for Heroism.
- Throughout the season, the Notre Dame women’s golf team will also raise funds with the proceeds benefiting the Folds of Honor (FOH).
- Through scholarships and other assistance, Folds of Honor gives back to the spouses and children of soldiers killed or disabled in service to our country
- Details of Notre Dame’s fundraising efforts will be released as the season progresses.
Career Best Rounds (most recent occurence listed)
- Claire Albrecht: 72 (second round of the 2019 Minnesota Invitational)
- Mia Ayer: 71 (third round of the 2018 Schooner Fall Classic)
- Lauren Beaudreau: 73 (first round of the 2019 Minnesota Invitational)
- Abby Heck: 68 (first round of the 2019 Moon Golf Invitational)
- Madelyn Jones: 73 (first round of the 2019 Minnesota Invitational)
- Jessica Meyers: 76 (second round of the 2019 Minnesota Invitational)
Campbell Posts Runner-Up Showing At The 2019 Women’s Mid-Am
- Program alumna Talia Campbell ’16 put together quite the run at the 2019 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship at the Forest Highlands Golf Club, Flagstaff, Arizona, advancing to the championship match (September 14-19).
- In the end, Campbell was bested by Ina Kim-Schaad to earn runner-up honors at the 33rd playing of the prestigious USGA championship.
- Campbell currently resides in New York City where she is a private equity investment professional focusing on mergers and acquisitions and leveraged buyouts.
- A team captain at Notre Dame in 2015-16, Campbell earned All-ACC honors as a junior and senior and she also shared co-medalist honors at the 2013 BIG EAST Championship as a freshman and was voted a unanimous all-BIG EAST selection.
- An All-ACC Academic Team honoree in her three seasons in the league, she was named the Notre Dame Monogram Club Team MVP following her senior season. She also earned Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-America Scholar honors as a sophomore, junior and senior.
Noting The 2019 Fall Season …
- The Irish opened the season with a 10th-place finish at the rain shortened Minnesota Invitational (Sept. 9-10).
- Lauren Beaudreau (73-74=147) was the top Fighting Irish finisher at Minnesota, tying for 25th.
Notre Dame Under Coach Holt
- Head Coach Susan Holt is in her 14th season leading the Fighting Irish in 2019-20.
- Under Holt, Notre Dame made the first NCAA Championship berth in program history (2011), won four Conference Championships and also has made 10 NCAA regional appearances.
- A six-time conference Coach of the Year, Holt has seen 34 of her players earn NGCA/WGCA All-Scholar Team honors, while 46 of her players have earned conference all-academic team honors (BIG EAST and ACC).
- Holt has also helped the team lower its season stroke average by more than 10 strokes since she arrived on the scene in 2006.
- Holt recruited and coached Notre Dame’s first LPGA Tour member, Becca Huffer, who played on the tour during the 2019-20 season and Notre Dame’s career stroke average leader Emma Albrecht ’19.
New Faces
- Three freshmen have joined the Irish for the 2019-20 season, including Lauren Beaudreau (Lemont, Illinois/Benet Academy), Madelyn Jones (Austin, Texas/Westlake High School) and Jessica Meyers (Wexford, Pennsylvania/Oakland Catholic High School).
- Following the 2018-19 season, four-year mainstays Emma Albrecht, Isabella DiLisio and Maddie Rose Hamilton each graduated.
— ND —