Nov. 15, 2005
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame women’s golf head coach Debby King has announced the signing of three student-athletes to national letters of intent. The trio of Annie Brophy, Julie Kim and Kristin Wetzel will begin playing for the Fighting Irish during the 2006-07 campaign. Kim has a National Junior Golf Scoreboard ranking of 21 among the Class of 2006, while Wetzel is 29th and Brophy is 40th.
Annie Brophy is the younger sister of current Irish senior co-captain Katie Brophy and they both hail from Spokane, Wash. Annie is a three-time golf letterwinner at Gonzaga Preparatory School. She placed fourth in the Washington Class 4A State Championship with an eight-over par 152 (76-76). Brophy is coming off a successful summer, which included her qualifying for match play at the U.S. Junior Girls Championship in a sudden-death playoff.
In July of 2005, Brophy placed 25th out of a field of 132 at the Girls’ Junior Americas’ Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico by carding a 225 (79-77-79). She was fifth at the AJGA Lockton Kansas City Junior event this past August as she carded a 13-over par 223 (76-70-77) par 70, 5,787-yard Kansas City Country Club in Mission Hills, Kan. Brophy also finished sixth at the AJGA Trophy Trophy Lake event with a 231 (79-76-76).
“I am looking for big things from Annie,” says King. “She really came on strong this summer and has really shown some major improvement in her game.”
Kim will bring her talents to Notre Dame from Bayside, N.Y., where she attended Bayside High School. She had an impressive July of 2005 with a victory at the Lessing’s AJGA Classic with a 213 (74-70-69) and a runner-up finish a week later at the Randall Parker Shootout at Wild Quail by carding a 218 (75-68-75). Kim closed out the month with a 226 (73-75-78) at the McDonald’s Betsy Rawls Girls Championship to tie for ninth.
“Julie just loves the game of golf,” states King. “She wants to work hard, play hard and win a national championship.”
Wetzel makes it two additions from the Empire State as she hails from Middletown, N.Y. She is a four-year letterwinner in golf at Hilton Head Preparatory School, in Hilton Head, S.C., where she currently ranks first in her class with a perfect 4.0 grade-point-average.
Wetzel racked up two victories and one runner-up finish in national tournaments during 2004. She placed first at the AJGA Hargray Junior Classic by firing a 222 (74-75-73) and shot a 234 (77-75-82) to win the Hudson Junior Invitational. Wetzel carded a 223 (72-79-72) to earn a second-place finish at the IJGT Tournament of Champions. She also claimed a victory at the 2004 New York City Women’s Amateur by shooting a nine-over par 153 (79-74).
“Kristin is the most dedicated person I have ever met,” says King. “I will not have to worry about her in the classroom nor will I need to wonder if she is practicing enough golf.”
The Fighting Irish concluded the 2005 fall season last week with a second-place finish at the Lady Jaguar Invitational. Notre Dame opens the 2006 spring season Feb. 19th at the Central District Classic in Parrish, Fla.
–ND–