April 5, 2013
DALLAS, Texas – The No. 23 University of Notre Dame women’s golf team concluded the first day of the 54-hole SMU Dallas Athletic Club Invitational at the SMU Dallas Athletic Club’s par-72 course (6,301 yards) in 11th place, carding a 31-over-par 319 Friday afternoon.
The Irish finished just one stroke behind 10th place Louisville and will start the second day two strokes ahead of 12th place North Texas.
Kansas State is the current leader in the three-day tournament with a six-over-par 294. No. 4 Oklahoma wrapped up its opening 18 holes with a second-place finish (295) followed by No. 35 Denver (296) in third.
Oklahoma’s Chirapat Jao-Javanil leads the field of 81 competitors after shooting a three-under-par 69. Carly Ragains (Kansas State) and Julie Yang (Oklahoma State) each tied for second, falling behind Jao-Javanil by a single stroke.
Sophomore Ashley Armstrong (Flossmoor, Ill.) led Notre Dame though the first round of play carding a six-over-par 78, tying for 31st place. Armstrong fired one-over -par 36 on the front nine and captured a birdie on hole one (par 5). The sophomore rolled through the final four holes with an even par after establishing a five-over-par through the first five holes on the back nine.
Junior Kristina Nhim (Cypress, Calif.) closed out her first 18 holes in the tournament tied for 38th place with a seven-over -par 79. The junior finished the front nine just three stokes over par while gathering a total of seven pars through that stretch. Nhim was superb from holes 3-12, paring eight of nine holes.
Freshman Talia Campbell (Dallas, Texas) made her hometown debut wrapping up her day tied for 41st place with an eight-over-par 80. Campbell was nearly flawless on the back nine surrendering a lone bogey on hole 12 while paring the remaining eight.
Sophomore Kelli Oride (Lihue, Hawaii) carded a 10-over-par 82 and is tied for 54th place. After shooting a seven -over-par 43 through the first nine holes, the sophomore battled back on the remaining nine with just a three-over-par 39. Oride shot even par or better in six of the final nine holes and picked up a birdie on hole 14 (par 3).
Freshman Lindsey Weaver (Scottsdale, Ariz.), who ranks No. 14 in the country, withdrew midway through the first round.
The Irish are back in action tomorrow beginning at 9:00 a.m. (EST) as they begin the middle 18 holes of the SMU Dallas Athletic Club Invitational.
TEAMS: 1. Kansas State (294/+6), 2. Oklahoma (295/+7), 3. Denver 296/+8), 4. Ohio State (299/+11), 5. UTSA (304+16), T6. SMU (305/+17), T6. Oklahoma State (305/+17), 8. Oregon State (313/+25), 9. Wisconsin (316/+28), 10. Louisville (318/+30), 11. Notre Dame (319/+31), 12. North Texas (321/+33), 13. Nebraska (334/+46), 14. Missouri State (337/+49), 15. Marshall (342/+54).
INDIVIDUAL: (TOP-5): 1. Jao-Javanil (Oklahoma) 69/-3, T2. Yang (Oklahoma State) 70/-2, T2. Ragains (Kansas State) 70/-2, T2. Yoo (Oregon State) 70/-2, T5. Meier (Ohio State) 72/E, T5. Misenhelter (Kansas State) 72/E.
NOTRE DAME: T31. Ashley Armstrong (78/+6), T38. Kristina Nhim (79/+7), T41. Talia Campbell (80/+8), T54. Kelli Oride (82/+10), Lindsey Weaver (DNF).
–ND–