Feb. 21, 2016
PEORIA, Ariz. – Although four months had passed since the No. 21 University of Notre Dame women’s golf team last played a competitive round, the Fighting Irish clearly maintained the momentum they built during a record-setting fall season, moving into fifth place after two rounds at the Westbrook Spring Invitational, which teed off Sunday on the Vistas Course (par 72/6,269 yards) at the Westbrook Village Golf Club in Peoria, Arizona.
Notre Dame posted a 36-hole score of even-par 576 (286-290) and finds itself among a group of four teams in the top five separated by only three strokes. Oregon currently leads the tournament at nine-under par 567, six shots ahead of Kansas State and UNLV (573). Ohio State is in fourth place at 575, with the Fighting Irish rounding out the top five in the 15-team tournament, which is being hosted by the University of Wisconsin.
Senior captain Talia Campbell (Dallas, Texas/Ursuline Academy) is Notre Dame’s top golfer through two rounds at Westbrook, currently tying for fifth place at three-under par 141 (72-69). The Fighting Irish veteran was sharp throughout Sunday’s 36 holes, carding a pair of eagles (two of the nine registered by the 86-player field) and coming home with a blistering 32 (-4) on the back nine of Sunday’s second round.
Oregon’s Caroline Inglis is the overnight individual leader at three-under par 139.
“Overall, our ball striking was really good,” Notre Dame head coach Susan Holt said. “It’s wedge play and putting that’s just not where it needs to be. Low scores are out here and we can go low (Monday). We’re really close to where we need to be.”
Freshman Isabella DiLisio (Hatfield, Pa./Mount Saint Joseph Academy) is tied for 11th place at one-under par 143 (69-74). DiLisio opened her spring season with a bogey-free 69 in the morning round and actually didn’t card a bogey through her first 23 holes of the tournament. A tricky nine-hole stretch that included two bogeys and a double bogey midway through the second half set the rookie back somewhat, but a late birdie helped get her back into red numbers for the tournament.
Freshman Emma Albrecht (Ormond Beach, Fla./Father Lopez) is in a 30th-place tie at two-over par 146 (71-75) after experiencing a similar day to her classmate with a solid opening round before stumbling a bit during the afternoon session.
Sophomore Kari Bellville (Granger, Ind./Penn) rose into a tie for 43rd place at four-over par 148 (76-72), pairing with fellow veteran Campbell for a strong second round that featured 16 pars to help Notre Dame stay in contention for the tournament title.
Freshman Maddie Rose Hamilton (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart Academy) is tied for 54th place at six-over par 150 (74-76), rounding out the Fighting Irish lineup.
Junior Jordan Ferreira (University Place, Wash./Bellarmine Prep) also is competing this weekend as an individual participant. She is tied for 66th place at eight-over par 152 (78-74).
Notre Dame will return to the links at 10:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. MT) Monday for the final round of the Westbrook Spring Invitational. Live scoring will be available through the BirdieFire web site (BirdieFire.com), with in-progress updates also provided through the Fighting Irish women’s golf Twitter feed (@NDwomensGolf).
For more information on the Notre Dame women’s golf program, visit the women’s golf page of the official Fighting Irish athletics web site (UND.com/ndwomensgolf), sign up to follow the Notre Dame women’s golf Twitter feed (@NDwomensGolf) or register for the Irish ALERT text-messaging system through the “Fan Center” pulldown menu on the front page at UND.com.
Westbrook Spring Invitational
Feb. 21-22, 2016
Westbrook Village Golf Club ââ’¬” Vistas Course (par 72/6,269 yards)
Peoria, Arizona
TEAM SCORES (36-hole totals): 1. Oregon 567 (285-282); 2. (tie) Kansas State 573 (289-284) and UNLV 573 (285-288); 4. Ohio State 575 (287-288); 5. NOTRE DAME 576 (286-290); 6. (tie) SMU 582 (291-291) and San Diego State 582 (286-296); 8. Oregon State 583 (285-298); 9. Wisconsin 584 (293-291); 10. (tie) Indiana 585 (293-292) and Iowa 585 (293-292); 12. Illinois 587 (294-293); 13. (tie) Washington State 594 (296-298) and Nebraska 594 (293-301); 15. College of Charleston 597 (302-295).
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS PLUS NOTRE DAME GOLFERS (of 86): 1. Caroline Inglis (UO) 139 (70-69); 2. (tie) Katherine Gravel-Coursol (KSU) 140 (72-68), Connie Jaffrey (KSU) 140 (71-69) and Kaylee Benton (UNLV) 140 (70-70); 5. (tie) Talia Campbell (ND) 141 (72-69) and Jessica Porvasnik (OHIOST) 141 (71-70); 7. (tie) Emma Henrikson (SDSU) 142 (69-73), Brooke Ferrell (UW) 142 (71-71), Erin Harper (IU) 142 (72-70) and Cathleen Santoso (UO) 142 (73-69); 11. (tie) Isabella DiLisio (ND) 143 (69-74); 30. (tie) Emma Albrecht (ND) 146 (71-75); 43. (tie) Kari Bellville (ND) 148 (76-72); 54. (tie) Maddie Rose Hamilton (ND) 150 (74-76); 66. (tie) Jordan Ferreira (ND)* 152 (78-74).
* – competing as individual participant
– ND –
Chris Masters, associate athletics communications director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2001 and coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame women’s golf and women’s basketball programs. A native of San Francisco, California, Masters is a 1996 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, earned his master’s degree from Kansas State University in 1998, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).