Oct. 4, 2003
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame women’s golf team will play in the Shoot-out at The Legends of Indiana Monday-Tuesday, October 6-7, in Indianapolis, Ind. The 54-hole tournament will be played on the par-72, 6,122-yard golf course at The Legends of Indiana.
Along with Notre Dame, the following schools are also participating in the 18-team tournament: Arkansas, Campbell, Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Illinois State, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kent State (2002 Shootout at the Legends of Indiana Champion), Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Texas A&M, Texas Christian, Toledo and Wisconsin.
After opening the season by winning the Cougar Classic, the Irish added another title in their last tournament, the Notre Dame Invitational (September 27-28), by edging out Northern Iowa by one stroke. Notre Dame headed into the final round trailing the Panthers by four strokes, but fired a 312 on the last day for a 938 total (306-320-312) to secure the Notre Dame Invitational title for the second consecutive year.
The Irish will now enter the Shoot-out at the Legends looking for its third championship out of four tournaments this fall. If successful, the team will tie the school record for most tournament wins in a single season, which was set by the 2000-01 Irish (Notre Dame Invitational, William & Mary Invitational, Illinois Spring Classic). With their two tournament victories already, Notre Dame’s ’03-’04 squad is only the second ever to win multiple regular season tournaments in one season.
Earning a first-place finish in the upcoming tournament will not be easy according to head coach Debby King.
“This is the toughest field, overall, we will face all year. The tournament is an excellent one, at a nice course, and I look forward to our team being able to compete there,” said King.
King will turn to youth in the quest for a third top finish, playing four sophomores and one freshman. After not playing in the first two tournaments of the season, sophomore Sarah Bassett (Spokane, Wash./Lewis and Clark HS) is playing in her second straight tournament as she led the team at the Notre Dame Invitational with a 14-over par 230 (75-78-77). Sophomore Katie Brophy (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) will look to keep up her consistent play as she heads to Indianapolis second on the team with a stroke average of 76.33. Joining Bassett and Brophy are classmates Suzie Hayes (Dublin, Ireland/Loreto College St. Stephen’s Green) and Lauren Gebauer (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington HS), who is playing as part of the Irish five for the first time this season after playing in the Notre Dame Invitational as an individual entry. Freshman Noriko Nakazaki (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates HS) rounds out the Notre Dame lineup, coming into the tournament leading the team with a 75.00 stroke average.
The Shoot-out at the Legends of Indiana will consist of two rounds on Monday followed by the final 18 holes of play on Tuesday. Tournament action will begin each day with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. (EST).
Results of the tournament will be made available at www.und.com after play is completed each day.
— ND —