April 16, 2005
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Saturday was a story of two rounds for the Notre Dame women’s golf team. The Fighting Irish knocked 15 strokes off of their first round total of 317 during the second 18 holes of play to post an overall total of 619 (317-302), which places them in a tie for eighth-place after the first day of the Lady Buckeye Invitational at the par 73, 6,201-yard Scarlet Golf Course. Michigan State, who registered a four-over par 588, has a commanding 15-shot lead over Iowa heading into Sunday’s third and final round. The Spartans’ Mandi McConnell is atop the individual leader board with a 145 (71-74). Notre Dame junior co-captain Katie Brophy (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) finds herself two shots off the lead and tied for fourth with a one-over par 147 (73-74).
Michigan State’s total of 588 established a Lady Buckeye 36-hole record, eclipsing Kent State’s two-round score of 597 tallied in 2002. McConnell also put her name in the record books of the 25-year old tournament with her score of 145, which surpassed the previous mark of 147 set by Ohio State’s Kirsten White also in 2002.
Fighting Irish sophomore Noriko Nakazaki (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates) had an amazing turnaround as she rebounded off a round-one total of 80 to card a three-under par 70 in the afternoon to currently reside in a tie for 12th-place. The Scarlet Course was originally scheduled to play at a par 72 but due to course renovations the par was set at 73 for the tournament.
Notre Dame teammates Stacy Brown (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands) and Suzie Hayes (Dublin, Ireland/Loreto College) are part of a six-way tie at 49th after registering 15-over par 161s. Brown, a sophomore, had rounds of 81 and 80, while Hayes, a junior, carded an 83 and 78.
Senior Karen Lotta (Los Angeles, Calif./Marymount) and freshman Jane Lee (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Peninsula) are in a five-way tie at 71st for the Irish with 167s. Lotta turned in scores of 83 and 84, while Lee posted an 87 before chipping seven strokes off of that in the afternoon. The tournament format has each team counting the low four scores out of the six golfers who played for each round.
Sunday’s third round will get underway with an 8:30 a.m. (CDT) shotgun start. Full results will be posted on ohiostatebuckeyes.com and for additional information please log on to und.com or call the Notre Dame athletics hotline at (574) 631-3000.
Lady Buckeye Invitational (Scarlet Golf Course – Columbus, Ohio, Par 73, 6,201-yards)
TEAM STANDINGS (36-hole totals):
1. Michigan State 588 (293-295), 2. Iowa 603 (305-298), 3. Kent State 606 (310-296), 4. Ohio State 607 (299-308), 5. Western Michigan 608 (306-302), 6. Purdue 609 (310-299), 7. Northwestern 611 (305-306), 8t. Notre Dame 619 (317-302), 8t. Toledo 619 (315-304), 10. Penn State 634 (320-314), 11. Ohio U. 635 (324-311), 12. Marshall 647 (329-318), 13t. Eastern Michigan 649 (327-322), 13t. Indiana 649 (319-330), 15. Bowling Green 666 (338-328).
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS (top five of 93 plus Notre Dame individuals):
1.Mandi McConnell (Michigan State) 145 (71-74), 2t. Rachel Meikle (Michigan State) 146 (72-74), 2t. Lindsay Knowlton (Ohio State) 146 (73-73), 4t. Alice Kim (Northwestern) 147 (76-71), 4t. Katie Brophy (Notre Dame) 147 (73-74), 12t. Noriko Nakazaki (Notre Dame) 150 (80-70), 49t. Stacy Brown (Notre Dame) 161 (81-80), 49t. Suzie Hayes (Notre Dame) 161 (83-78), 71t. Karen Lotta (Notre Dame) 167 (83-84), 71t. Jane Lee (Notre Dame) 167 (87-80).
— ND –