NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Fighting Irish women’s golf team will close out the fall portion of its 2019-20 schedule at the Jim West Challenge, which will take place Oct. 20-21 in San Marcos, Texas at the Kissing Tree Golf Club.
“The goal every event this year is a top-6 finish,” head coach Susan Holt said. “With the talent on this team it is certainly an achievable goal. It would be great to finish off the fall season with a strong showing we can build on for the spring season.”
Notre Dame’s starting lineup will feature freshmen Madelyn Jones (1) and Lauren Beaudreau (4) as well as sophomore Claire Albrecht (2), senior Mia Ayer (3) and junior Abby Heck (5).
Notre Dame last took part in the Jim West Challenge in 2016-17, when it placed ninth. That tournament was contested at the Fazio Course at The Club at Carlton Woods in the Woodlands, Texas.
The 2019 Texas State Jim West Invitational
Dates: October 20-21, 2019
Format: 54 holes (36 holes on Sunday, 18 holes on Monday)
Tee Times: 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday and Monday (shotgun start both days)
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 will compete as an individual.
Live Scoring: Golfstat.com
Twitter: @NDwomensGolf
Hashtag: #JWChallenge2019
Career Best Rounds (most recent occurence listed)
- Claire Albrecht: 72 (second round of the 2019 Minnesota Invitational)
- Mia Ayer: 71 (second round of the 2019 Schooner Fall Classic)
- 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: 73 (second round of the 2019 Illini Invitational)
Graduation Success Rate: 100 Percent
- The Notre Dame women’s golf team once again posted a perfect 100% in NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in the latest data, released Wednesday by the NCAA (Oct. 17).
- It marked the 15th-consecutive season the Notre Dame women’s golf team posted a perfect score.
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.
- Next, the Irish placed 14th at the Schooner Fall Classic (Sept. 27-29).
- With a final round 66, Abby Heck tied for seventh at the Schooner Fall Classic — her second career top-10 finish.
- Heck’s other top-10 showing came at last season’s 2019 Moon Golf Invitational at the Duran Golf Club when she placed second. Heck’s previous career low round was a 68, also shot at the 2019 Moon Golf Invitational.
- The 66 tied Heck with five other golfers, including freshman Lauren Beaudreau who shot a 66 in the second round of the 2019 Schooner Fall Classic, for the second-lowest round in program history (stroke total).
- Freshman Madelyn Jones shot an even-par 72 to pace the Irish on the final day of the 2019 Illini Women’s Golf Invitational at the Medinah Country Club (Oct. 7-8) and place as the top Notre Dame finisher (t-28th).
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.
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.
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.
— ND —