Aug. 13, 2010
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame women’s golf team will play in nine tournaments in 2010-11. The schedule, which was released today by fifth-year head coach Susan Holt, will feature five fall events including the Alamo Invitational (Oct. 31-Nov. 2) in San Antonio, Texas and the William K. Warren Invitational (Oct. 2-3) at Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course.
“Hosting our own event in the fall is a highlight for us,” remarks Holt, whose Irish team will be hosting a tournament for the second time during her five-plus seasons at Notre Dame. “It will be a great trial run for us as we prepare to host the (NCAA) Central Regional in the spring.”
The Fighting Irish will begin the `10-`11 campaign at the Mary Fossum Invitational, which is hosted by Michigan State, Sept. 25-26 at the Forest Akers West Course in East Lansing, Mich. This will be the third consecutive season the Irish will take part in the tournament. They have finished in the top 10 in both previous trips.
Notre Dame will compete in four events during the month of October. First will be the William K. Warren Invitational on October 2-3. The tournament welcomes 12 teams, including Georgia State, Illinois and Ohio State among others, to the Warren Golf Course.
The Irish will head to Knoxville, Tenn. the following week to play in the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship (Oct. 8-10) at the Fox Den Country Club. The University of Tennessee will host the event. Notre Dame secured a ninth-place finish at last year’s invitational.
Notre Dame will travel further south to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington for the program’s first appearance at The Landfall Tradition (Oct. 21-24) at the Country Club of Landfall. The fall season will come to an end at the Alamo Invitational (Oct. 31-Nov. 2) at San Antonio’s Briggs Ranch Course. Notre Dame tied for second, out of 12 schools, at last season’s event.
Holt anticipates a successful, yet challenging season ahead.
“We have a really good chance of winning at Michigan State, at our event (the William K. Warren Invitational) and at the Alamo Invitational,” Holt says. “The other events will prove to be much more challenging fields and test us early and will be indicators of how good we will be in the spring.”
The spring opener will be familiar for the Irish as they travel to the River Wilderness Golf Course in Parrish, Fla. for the Central District Challenge (Feb. 21-22). The Fighting Irish have competed in the event every year under Holt. The tournament is hosted by Michigan State and features all NCAA Central Region teams.
The Irish will compete in two events during March. Notre Dame will travel to the University of Hawaii to tee it up at the Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course on March 14 and 15 with power programs such as Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt. Next on the schedule will be the John Kirk/Panther Intercollegiate (March 21-22), which is hosted by Georgia State at Eagle’s Landing Club course.
Notre Dame will close out the regular season at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic (Apr.1-3) at the University of Georgia Golf Course. The event will be a solid late-season test for the Irish as they prepare for the league tournament.
The 2011 BIG EAST Championship will be held in Palm Harbor, Fla. at the Innisbrook Resort on April 17-19. Notre Dame placed third at the conference championship last season.
The Fighting Irish lost two of their five-person rotation, co-captains Annie Brophy and Kristin Wetzel, from last season’s squad, but will look to junior Becca Huffer, seniors Katie Conway and So-Hyun Park for leadership. Huffer claimed the number one or two spot at each tournament during the 2009-10 season and was unanimously named to the 2010 All-BIG EAST Team along with Brophy and Conway. Additionally, the Irish welcome freshman Nicole Zhang, who competed at the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open in early July, and Kristina Nhim, who claimed second place at the 2010 Trader Joe’s Junior Championship in July with a 212 (70-70-72).
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