NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame women’s golf team is coming off great success Sunday, having defended their home course at the Women’s Fighting Irish Classic with a first place finish. The Irish took the team championship in convincing fashion, finishing 24 strokes ahead of the second-place team and boasting the individual champion as well in junior Alex Lapple. Notre Dame’s women competing in the team event took five of the top-15 spots, including three in the top-five, while all eight saw playing time on the course and finished among the top-30 participants. The 583(+7) score was the team’s lowest mark of the season in relation to par, and their highest team finish of the fall.
Lapple finished with a two-round total of 141(-3) for her first career individual championship. The junior opened the home tournament with a season-low 68(-4) before finishing the day with a score of 73(+1) in round two en route to the win.
Jordan Levitt finished as runner-up Sunday evening after a strong second round score of 70(-2) put her at one-under overall. The freshman’s second-place finish is the highest of her young career, and second top-10 finish since arriving on campus. She finished the 36-hole day with a score of 143(-1) overall.
Sophomore Maddy Bante also placed among the top-five Sunday, finishing at 150(+6) overall after a 73(+1) in her second round moved her up five spots on the leaderboard. Bante’s fourth place finish was her best of the season.
Sawyer Brockstedt finished fourth for the Irish in the team competition, and 11th overall, with a final score of 155(+11) on the day. The freshman opened the tournament with a score of 78(+6), before posting a 77(+5) tally in the second round to move up two spots individually and secure her team’s win.
The final team competitor for the Irish Sunday was sophomore Bridget Wilkie who started the day off with an even-par score of 72 through the first 18 holes. Wilkie finished the tournament at 156(+12) and 15th overall to round out the five-woman squad at Warren Golf Course.
Faustine Errecade, Caroline Owens, and Taryn Cagle also competed at Sunday’s tournament, playing the course as individuals. There, Errecade’s 154(+10) finish placed her 10th overall following a tournament-low score of 74(+2) in the first round. Owens placed 24th overall with a final tally of 160(+16) while freshman Cagle rounded out the group with a 29th-place finish and 162(+18) mark in the two-round tournament.
The victory, marked by a final team score of 583(+7) was the team’s first tournament win since the Bettie Lou Evans Invite in October. 2017, and the first of Coach Jenco’s career with the Irish.