May 27, 2008
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame freshman So-Hyun Park (Seoul, South Korea/Bradenton Prep) has received honorable mention All-America honors from the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA). Park becomes the first student-athlete in the 20-year history of the Notre Dame women’s golf program to garner All-America accolades.
Park led the Fighting Irish with a program-record 73.63 stroke average during her rookie campaign. She posted two victories on the season and had four runner-up finishes, including a second-place showing at the BIG EAST Championship en route to garnering all-conference honors. Park placed in the top-10 in nine of 11 events on the year.
The first victory of the season for Park came at the Napa River Grill Cardinal Cup as she bested the field of 94 with a three-under par 213 (70-71-72) at the Cardinal Club in Simpsonville, Kentucky. The tournament, which spanned Sept. 17-18, was just the second event of her collegiate career.
Park’s second medalist finish of the season came in March as she topped the 106-golfer field at the Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational in Rio Verde, Arizona. She registered a season-best four-under par score of 212 (72-70-70) at the Rio Verde Country Club’s Quail Run Course.
Park, who paced the team in six tournaments, was the only member of this year’s Fighting Irish squad to have all 32 rounds count towards the team score. She helped lead Notre Dame to a program-record five team wins on the season, including the BIG EAST title. The Irish, who posted a school record 300.47 scoring average, qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history.
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