SAN MARCOS, Texas — The Fighting Irish women’s golf team combined to post seven under-par rounds through the first 36-holes of play at the Jim West Challenge on Sunday to stand tied for ninth (287-281-568) with one round remaining.
Playing at the Kissing Tree Golf Club (6,033 yards/Par 72), sophomore Claire Albrecht led the Fighting Irish in the morning round, carding a career-best 68 (-4). She totaled 14 pars and four birdies on the round. Albrecht followed with a one-under par 71 in the afternoon and enters Monday’s final round tied for 12th.
In the afternoon, senior Mia Ayer fired a career-best 69 (-3). Her round included nine pars, six birdies and three bogeys. After opening with a par on the ninth hole due to the shotgun start, she played the back nine at a five-under par clip (31). Combined with her morning 71 (-1), Ayer finished the day tied for 21st (71-69=140).
Freshman Madelyn Jones (74-70=144) also scored in both rounds for the Irish, while freshman Lauren Beaudreau (74) scored in the morning and junior Abby Heck saw her one-under par 71 count in the afternoon. The second round 281 tied for the seventh-lowest team round in program history.
Playing as an individual, freshman Jessica Meyers also carded her best round in an Irish uniform when she shot a two-under par 70 in the first round.
| 9 | Notre Dame | 287 | 281 | 568 |
| T12 | Claire Albrecht (2) | 68 | 71 | 139 |
| T21 | Mia Ayer (3) | 71 | 69 | 140 |
| T39 | Madelyn Jones (1) | 74 | 70 | 144 |
| T54 | Abby Heck (5) | 75 | 71 | 146 |
| T64 | Lauren Beaudreau (4) | 74 | 75 | 149 |
| T64 | Jessica Meyers (Notre Dame) | 70 | 79 | 149 |
While the Irish ended the day in ninth, they are just eight strokes out of third place in a bunched together leaderboard. Texas Tech (274-278=552) and Ole Miss (269-283=552) lead the 15-team field.
Notre Dame will be paired with Texas A&M and Houston for the final round and will begin on holes 11-15 at 9:30 a.m. ET.
The 2019 Texas State Jim West Invitational — Final Round
Dates: October 21, 2019
Format: 18 holes on Monday
Tee Times: 9:30 a.m. ET (shotgun start)
Location: San Marcos, Texas
Course (Par/Yardage): Kissing Tree Golf Club located (6,033 yards/Par 72)
Tournament Field (15): Florida State, Houston, Kansas State, Memphis, Miami (FL), Mississippi, Missouri, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech, UTSA, UNLV.
Notre Dame Lineup: Madelyn Jones (1), Claire Albrecht (2), Mia Ayer (3), Lauren Beaudreau (4), Abby Heck (5). Jessica Meyers is competing as an individual.
Live Scoring: Golfstat.com
Twitter: @NDwomensGolf
Hashtag: #JWChallenge2019
Career Best Rounds (most recent occurence listed)
- Claire Albrecht: 68 (first round of the 2019 Jim West Invitational)
- Mia Ayer: 69 (second round of the 2019 Jim West Invitational)
- Lauren Beaudreau: 66 (second round of the 2019 Schooner Fall Classic)
- Abby Heck: 66 (third round of the 2019 Schooner Fall Classic)
- Madelyn Jones: 69 (second round of the 2019 Schooner Fall Classic)
- Jessica Meyers: 70 (first round of the 2019 Jim West Invitational)
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.
— ND —