March 20, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 25th-ranked University of Notre Dame women’s golf team is set to compete at the 18th annual John Kirk/Panther Intercollegiate Monday, March 21 and Tuesday, March 22 at the Eagle’s Landing Country Club in Stockbridge, Ga.
The tournament follows a shotgun start that begins at 9:00 a.m. (ET) on both days with two rounds being played Monday and followed by the final 18 holes Tuesday on the par 72 and 6,047 yard course.
The Irish are among the 15-team field that has eight teams in the top 100 of the GolfStat rankings, No. 25 Notre Dame is the highest-rated team, followed by Michigan (54), Western Carolina (67), Maryland (69), Georgia State (70), Central Florida (77), East Tennessee State (84) and Middle Tennessee (89). Arkansas State, Daytona State, James Madison, Miami, Mississippi State, Murray State and Xavier conclude the tournament field.
Notre Dame freshman Nicole Zhang (Calgary, Alberta/Bishop Carroll) enters the tournament as the highest-rated golfer at No. 19, while Georgia State’s Charlotte Lorentzen is No. 63.
Georgia State has claimed the John Kirk/Panther Intercollegiate crown the past three-consecutive seasons, but with Notre Dame carrying a 2-0 record against the home squad this season, the Fighting Irish have the opportunity to bring home a first-place finish.
Making the trip to Atlanta are seniors Katie Conway (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading) and So-Hyun Park (Seoul, South Korea/Bradenton Preparatory Academy), juniors Becca Huffer (Denver, Colo./Littleton) and Katie Allare (Phoenix, Ariz./Xavier Prep) and freshmen Zhang and Kristina Nhim (Cypress, Calif./Cypress).
The Irish enter the tournament after a third-place finish at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational in Kaneohe, Hawaii. Park was the team leader as the senior posted a three-round score of 225 (74-72-79/+9).
Check back to und.com daily for complete results and recap of the 2011 John Kirk/Panther Intercollegiate Tournament.
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