March 4, 2012
Hilton Head, S.C. – The Notre Dame women’s golf team battled high winds and chilly temperatures on Sunday morning to close out the rain-shortened Darius Rucker Intercollegiate tournament with a second-round total of 35-over-par 319 to finish 13th in the 15-team field.
The tournament that was played on the par-71, 6,160-yard Long Cove Golf Club was shortened from 54 holes to 36 holes after play was stopped on Saturday afternoon due to severe thunderstorms and lightning in the Hilton Head, S.C. region.
At the time of postponement, Notre Dame was sixth in the tournament at 26-over par. On Sunday, battling the winds, the Irish were 26-over par for the last eight holes to fall to 13th with rounds of 301-319 for a 620 total.
The Irish finished 49 strokes off the pace set by tournament winner, second-ranked Alabama, as the Crimson Tide led the talented field of teams with a three-over par total of 571 (288-283). The Darius Rucker Intercollegiate featured 12 teams ranked in the top 50 of the Golfweek rankings, including three top-10 squads.
Finishing second was North Carolina with a 36-hole mark of 582 on rounds of 292-290. Third was Vanderbilt with a 593 total (299-294) with Central Florida (596) and Virginia (598) rounding out the top five finishes.
Individually, Coach Susan Holt’s team was led by freshman Ashley Armstrong (Flossmoor, Ill.) who turned in the best finish of her career as she tied for 14th in the 81-player field. Armstrong fired an opening round 73 on Friday and closed out the tournament with 75 on Sunday for a 36-hole total of six-over par 148. The 148 is the lowest two-round total of her freshman year and a great start to the spring schedule for the talented frosh. On Saturday, Armstrong had played 12 holes and was at even par when the rains came. She picked up a pair of double bogeys on Sunday in wrapping up her final round of play.
Armstrong finished 11 strokes behind the tournament medalist – Stephanie Meadow of Alabama – who had a five-under par total of 137 (67-70) for the 36-hole tournament.
Finishing second for Notre Dame was sophomore Kristina Nhim (Cypress, Calif.) who tied for 38th with a 12-over par total of 154 on rounds of 74 and 80.
Senior Becca Huffer (Denver, Colo.) tied for 43rd overall with a 13-over mark of 155 that included rounds of 74 and 81 for her 36-hole total.
Fellow senior Katie Allare (Phoenix, Ariz.) was 73rd with a 183 total (80-83) and freshman Kelli Oride (Lihue, Hawaii) was 79th after back-to-back rounds of 85 gave her a 170 total.
In all, just five players shot par or better for the 36-hole tournament that was hosted by the University of South Carolina. Joining Alabama’s Meadow among the top for golfers was Crimson Tide teammate Brooke Pancake in second with a two-under par 140 (71-69). Third place went to North Carolina’s Katherine Perry with a one-under par 141 (72-69) and TCU’s Brooke Beeler and Georgia’s Marta Silva Zamora tied for fourth with even-par totals of 142.
Notre Dame will get right back into action next weekend as the Irish travel to Baton Rouge, La., to participate in the LSU Tiger Golf Classic on March 9-12. The tournament will be held at the par-72, 6,305-yard University Club golf course.
TEAM RESULTS (36-hole totals): 1. Alabama 288-283-571; 2. North Carolina 292-290-582; 3. Vanderbilt 299-294-593; 4. Central Florida 297-299-596; 5. Virginia 297-301-598; 6. Georgia 297-303-600; 7. TCU 301-301-602; 8. South Carolina 303-301-604; t9. Tennessee 305-303-608; Wake Forest 302-306-608; t11. Texas 305-312; 617; Arkansas 305-312-617; 13. Notre Dame 301-319-620; 14. Coastal Carolina 307-314-621; 15. USC-Beaufort 327-333-660.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 81): 1. Stephanie Meadow (Alabama) 67-70-137; 2. (-6); 2. Brooke Pancake (Alabama) 71-69-140; 3. Katherine Perry (North Carolina) 72-69-141; t4. Marta Silva Zamora (Georgia) 71-71-142; Brooke Beeler (TCU) 71-71-142; 6. Katie Burnett (South Carolina) 72-71-143; t7. Brittany Altamore (Virginia) 73-72-145; Hannah Collier (Alabama) 74-71-145; Briana Mao (Virginia) 73-72-145; t10. Marina Alex (Vanderbilt) 76-70-146; Allie White (North Carolina) 74-72-146.
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 81): t14. Ashley Armstrong 73-75-148; (+2); t38. Kristina Nhim 74-80-154; t43. Becca Huffer 74-81-155; 73. Katie Allare 80-83-163; 79. Kelli Oride 85-85-170.