Feb. 8, 2018
By Dan Colleran
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — After a three month layoff, the Notre Dame women’s golf team will open the second semester at this weekend’s Florida State Match-Up at the Don Veller Seminole Golf Course in Tallahassee, Florida.
“We’re really looking forward to getting back out and competing this weekend,” head coach Susan Holt said. “This FSU event is a great place to kick off our spring season on a familiar golf course and in a fun and unique format that is unlike any other in women’s college golf.”
In addition the the traditional medalist and team champion honors, the tournament also includes a second combined team (or “Match-Up”) title. The unique format allows the teams to open the spring with an added layer of fun and friendly competition.
Notre Dame previously took part in the event in 2013, as well as last season. In 2013, The Irish placed seventh overall and, paired with Michigan, placed fifth in the Match-Up standings. Last season Notre Dame was paired with Oklahoma and Emma Albrecht led the Notre Dame lineup by tying for 22nd (74-72-73-219) in the 66-player field.
This season, the Irish will be paired with Kentucky for the first two days of play. The Match-Up portion of the tournament will be determined by taking the best four scores from the partners (which is a total of ten players) and the worst score to make the Match-Up team total. At the end of the tournament, the teams with the lowest score will win the Match-Up title.
THE DETAILS
Date: Feb. 9-11 (practice round Feb. 8)
Format: 54 holes of stroke play, one round each day
Tee Times: TBA; shotgun start on Sunday
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
The Course: The Don Veller Seminole Golf Course and Club (Par 72/6,212 yards)
Tournament Field (by pairings): Florida State/Texas A&M, South Carolina/Virginia, Missouri/Coastal Carolina, Columbia/Princeton, Notre Dame/Kentucky, and Minnesota/Michigan State.
Social Media: #fsumatchup18
Live Stats: Golfstat
NOTRE DAME LINEUP
Notre Dame’s lineup at the Florida State Match-Up will feature juniors Emma Albrecht, Maddie Rose Hamilton, Isabella DiLisio, freshman Abby Heck and sophomore Mia Ayer.
COACH HOLT QUOTES
On preparations for opening the second semester ââ’¬¦
“We have been practicing with a real focus daily on our short game this winter at our indoor facility. We were also in West Palm Beach, Florida last weekend and were able to play and practice for two days, which was a real bonus to get us better prepared to compete this weekend at Florida State.”
On carrying over the fall season successes ââ’¬¦
“The team is coming off its best fall season ever from a team stroke average standpoint. We have a really solid top four players in Emma, Maddie, Isabella and Abby that are all at a stroke average between 72-74. With all of them having played such great golf in the fall, we’re just looking to continue to build on that success this spring.”
On the goals for the season ââ’¬¦
“There is a lot of parity in women’s college golf right now and we have to be ready to compete each and every round this spring and find a way to post solid rounds that will keep us in the mix nationally. We have the talent to do so; it just comes down to being able to execute when it’s time to compete.”
NOTING THE 2017 FALL SEASON
- The Irish have had a strong fall season, tying for third at the Minnesota Invitational (Sept. 11-12), tying for sixth at the Schooner Fall Classic (Sept. 23-25) and winning the Bettie Lou Evans Invitational (Oct. 6-8).
- Emma Albrecht led the Irish with a seventh-place showing at the Minnesota Invitational (68-72-70=210). She then carded a career-low 67 in the second round of the Schooner Fall Classic and posted her first career win at the Bettie Lou Evans Invitational when she claimed co-medalist honors (70-69-73=211).
- Notre Dame’s last tournament win came when it finished first at the Chip-N Club Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska (Oct. 6, 2015). The last Notre Dame player to take medalist honors was Kristina Nhim, who won the Clover Cup in Mesa, Arizona on March 16, 2014.
- Maddie Rose Hamilton also tied for fourth at the Bettie Lou Evans Invitational with an even-par 216 marking the first time Notre Dame had two individuals finish in the top five of an event since Oct. 5-6, 2015.
- Hamilton set the program record by shooting a second round 65 (-6) at the Schooner Fall Classic. The -6 also tied for the lowest round in program history in relation to par. Previously, So-Hyun Park (2008-09) and Lisa Maunu (2007-08) also carded six-under par scores, both of which were 66’s on par 72 courses.
- Also at the at the Schooner Fall Classic, Notre Dame carded a final round 278 (-6) marked the second lowest score in program history, just one stroke off the record of 277 carded in the second round of the 2014 Schooner Classic. The -6 also tied for the their best round in program history in relation to par.
- Notre Dame’s three-round total of 854 (+2) at the Schooner Fall Classic also marked the second-lowest three round score in program history and the fourth-best three round score in relation to par.
NOTRE DAME UNDER COACH HOLT
Head Coach Susan Holt is in her 12th season leading the Irish.Over the previous 11 seasons, Holt has led Notre Dame to nine NCAA regional appearances and helped Notre Dame earn its first NCAA Championship berth in program history (2011). In addition, the Irish have captured four conference titles, won 17 tournament championships (team), had 15 individual medalist winners. Her players have also earned 27 all-conference accolades as well as the first two All-America selections in Notre Dame women’s golf history.
UP NEXT
The Irish will have next weekend off and then continue the season on Feb. 25-26 at the Westbrook Invitational in Peoria, Arizona.
— ND —
Dan Colleran, Director of Athletics Communications at the University of Notre Dame, has been a part of Fighting Irish Media since August 2015 and coordinates all media and publicity efforts surrounding the Notre Dame hockey and golf programs. A native of Walpole, Massachusetts, Colleran spent the previous three years working with the men’s hockey and soccer programs at Providence College. Colleran also spent two years as an Assistant Executive Director of Communications & Championships at the Ivy League and is a graduate of Providence College (’06 & ’08G).