March 2, 2003
Pinehurst, N.C. – The Notre Dame women’s golf team ventured south for the opening weekend of the spring golf season looking to get outdoors for the first time since November and shake the rust from their game. After opening with a first round 338, the Irish improved day-by-day shooting a 333 on Saturday and a 321 to close the tournament with a 992-total, goo for 14th in the 22-team field at the Edwin Watts/Carolinas Collegiate Classic.
Notre Dame’s 922 put them 70 strokes behind tournament winner East Carolina as the Pirates shot a 56-over par 920 (311-309-300) on the par-72, 5,898-yard Pinehurst #8 course. The Pirates won the tournament by 13 strokes over second-place Penn State as the Nittany Lions shot a 933 (322-313-306). North Carolina-Wilmington was third (935), followed by Georgia State (938) and Jacksonville State (947).
The Irish were led in the tournament by a pair of freshmen as Sarah Bassett (Spokane, Wash.) tied for 46th with a 54-hole total of 246 after shooting rounds of 84-79-83. Katie Brophy (Spokane, Wash.) was one stroke behind Bassett to tie for 48th with a 247 total. Brophy fired rounds of 86, 85 and 76 on the weekend. Her four-over par 76 was the top round of the weekend for any Irish golfer.
Bassett’s 246 put her 23 strokes behind the tournament’s individual winner Jessica Krasny of East Carolina. Krasny shot a seven-over par 223 with rounds of 73-77-73. She took a one-stroke victory over Alabama-Birmingham’s Brooke Mangan who went into the final round with a two-stroke lead on Krasny. Mangan shot a 224 (74-74-76) for the 54-hole tournament. Rounding out the top four were Katie Futcher of Penn State with a 227 (76-74-75) and Janie Quinn of East Carolina who was four strokes off the pace with a 227 (78-75-74). Seven players tied for fifth with a 231.
Following Bassett and Brophy for the Irish was sophomore Karen Lotta (Los Angeles, Calif.) who tied for 54th with a 248 (81-84-83). Shannon Byrne (Jr., Arlington Heights, Ill.) and Rebecca Rogers (Jr., Alpharetta, Ga.) tied for 74th with 254 totals. Byrne shot rounds of 89, 85 and 80 while Rogers shot 86-84-84. Lauren Gebauer (Fr., Columbus, Ohio) closed out the group of Irish golfers with a tie for 84th in the field of 116. Gebauer shot a 257 (87-88-82).
The women’s golf team is next in action over spring break when they play in two tournaments in Florida. The Irish participate in the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational on March 10-11 at the Tuscaville Country Club in Orlando to open the week and then play on March 13-14 at the Northern Illinois Snowbird Invitational at the Pebble Creek Country Club in Tampa, Fla.
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (54-hole totals): 1. East Carolina 311-309-300-920; 2. Penn State 322-313-298-933; 3. North Carolina-Wilmington 313-316-306-935; 4. Georgia State 314-309-315-938; 5. Jacksonville State 309-327-311-947; 6. Alabama-Birmingham 310-314-324-948; 7. College of Charleston 321-320-314-955; 8. Memphis 321-315-321-957; 9. Kansas 323-313-334-970; 10. Augusta State 328-323-321-972; 11. Iowa 329-326-323-978; t12. Elon 330-328-323-981; North Carolina-Greensboro 324-336-321-981; 14. Notre Dame 338-333-321-992; 15. Coastal Carolina 334-334-326-994; 16. Charleston Southern 327-331-341-999; 17. Maruland 337-339-324-1000; 18. William and Mary 341-329-334-1004; 19. Wofford College 338-339-347-1024; 20. Appalachian State 355-344-335-1034; 21. Radford 350-351-334-1035; 22. Winthrop 353-362-349-1064.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 116): 1. Jessica Krasny (East Carolina) 73-77-73-223; 2. Brooke Mangan (Alabama-Birmingham) 74-74-76-224; 3. Katie Futcher (Penn State) 76-74-75-225; 4. Janie Quinn (East Carolina) 78-75-74-227; t5. Leah Bart (Augusta State) 81-74-76-231; Yunuen Sanchez (No. Carolina-Wilmington) 77-77-77-231; Jennifer Bridwell (College of Charleston) 81-77-73-231; Keri Dugan (Penn State) 84-76-71-231; Sam White (Georgia State) 77-76-78-231; Florencia Moran (Jacksonville State) 76-82-73-231; Shanelle Howard (Jacksonville State) 78-80-73-231.
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 90): t46. Sarah Bassett 84-79-83-246; t48. Katie Brophy 86-85-76-247; t54. Karen Lotta 81-84-83-248; t74. Shannon Byrne 89-85-80-254; Rebecca Rogers 86-84-84-254; t84. Lauren Gebauer 87-88-82-257.