Oct. 17, 2011
Carmel, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s golf team fired a 36-hole total of 603 and has the second round lead by four strokes over the University of Illinois at the Hoosier Fall Invitational being played at the par-72, 6,196-yard Crooked Stick Golf Club. The final 18 holes will be played on Tuesday, October 18 beginning at 8:30 a.m. with a shotgun start.
Leading the Irish and the tournament is freshman Ashley Armstrong (Flossmoor, Ill.) who carded rounds of 75-71 for a two-over par total of 146. She leads Eastern Michigan’s Shannon Warner by one stroke, Illinois’ Hailey Koschman by two and teammate Becca Huffer (Sr., Denver, Colo.) by three strokes going into Tuesday’s final round.
As a team, Notre Dame shot rounds of 306-297 for a 27-over par 603. The second round total of nine-over par 297 equals the team’s best round so far this fall. The Irish lead Illinois (314-293-607) by four strokes with the Illini’s second round 293 being the best team round of the tournament.
Eastern Michigan is third with a two-round mark of 609 as the Eagles fired rounds of 303 and 306. Rounding out the top five teams is Nebraska and Wichita State. The Cornhuskers trail the Irish by 10 strokes with a 36-hole total of 613 (311-302) and the Shockers are five behind them with a 618 after rounds of 307 and 311.
The play of Armstrong has been the story of the day for the Irish. She fired a three-over par 75 for the opening round and was tied for fifth as she had one birdie, two bogeys and one double-bogey on her card for the first 18. In the second round, she was two-under par on the front nine with birdies on the par 5 fifth and ninth holes. On the back nine she had back-to-back bogies on 13 and 14 before closing the round with a birdie on the par 4 18th for a one-under par total of 71. That is the lowest single round of Armstrong’s career.
Just three strokes behind her is Huffer, who had another steady performance with rounds of 76-73 for a five-over par 149, good enough for a fourth-place tie. Her opening round included two birdies, four bogeys and one double bogey for the opening 76. Huffer’s second round was a bit of a rollercoaster ride as she had two birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey on the front nine before settling down for two birdies and a bogey on the back nine for the one-over par 73.
Just two strokes behind Huffer after 36 holes and five off Armstrong’s lead is freshman Kelli Oride (Lihue, Hawaii) who shot rounds of 78-73 for a 151 mark. Her second round included four birdies and five bogies on the way to the 73.
Rounding out the Notre Dame contingent of golfers is senior Katie Allare (Phoenix, Ariz.) who had rounds of 77 and 81 and will open Tuesday’s final round tied for 32nd. Sophomore Kristina Nhim (Cyprus, Calif.) struggled in both rounds, shooting 84 and 80 for a 164 total and a tie for 58th.
The last tournament the Irish won was the BIG EAST Tournament on April 17-19, 2011 and the last time the Irish had the individual medalist was at the Mary Fossum Invitational to open the 2010 fall schedule as Nicole Zhang shot a nine-under par 207 to win that tournament.
Following the final round of the Hoosier Fall Invitational on Tuesday, the Irish will close out the fall schedule with a trip to Wilmington, N.C., on Oct. 28-30 for the Landfall Tradition that is held at the Country Club of Landfall. The Irish finished sixth in that tournament a year ago.
TEAM RESULTS (36-hole totals): 1. Notre Dame 306-297-603; 2. Illinois 314-293-607; 3. Eastern Michigan 303-306-609; 4. Nebraska 311-302-613; 5. Wichita State 307-311-618; 6. Penn State 305-315-620; t7. Indian 317-307-624; Gonzaga 316-308-624; 9. Missouri 323-307-630; 10. Western Michigan 327-306-633; 11. Toledo 329-316-345; 12. Illinois State 330-321-651; 13. Ball State 334-326-660.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 77): 1.Ashley Armstrong (Notre Dame) 75-71-146; 2. Shannon Warner (Eastern Michigan) 73-74-147; 3. Hailey Koschmann (Illinois) 76-72-148; t4. Becca Huffer (Notre Dame) 76-73-149; Gretchen Huhnerkoch (Wichita State) 72-77-149; Samantha Sloan (Illinois) 77-72-149; 7. Sarah Johnson (Eastern Michigan) 75-75-150; t8. Kelli Oride (Notre Dame) 78-73-151; Meredith Fairbairn (Eastern Michigan) 77-74-151; Shelby Martinek (Nebraska) 80-71-151; Christina Vosters (Penn State) 73-78-151.
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 90): 1. Ashley Armstrong 75-71-146; t4. Becca Huffer 76-73-149; t8. Kelli Oride 78-73-151; t32. -78-73-230; t32. Katie Allare 77-81-158; Kristina Nhim 84-80-164.