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Women's Golf Closes Out Spring Schedule At Lady Buckeye Invitational

April 19, 2002

Notre Dame, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s golf team closes out the 2001-02 schedule this weekend, April 20-21, when the Irish travel to Columbus, Ohio to participate in the 17th annual Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational. Fifteen teams will tee it up at Ohio State’s famed par 72, 6,126-yard Scarlet Course, including six that are ranked in the Top 50 in the most recent Golfweek poll.

The 54-hole tournament will feature 36 holes on Saturday followed by 18 on Sunday. Action starts both days at 8:30 a.m. (EST).

Joining the Ohio State Scarlet and Gray teams are Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Kent State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Purdue, Toledo, Wisconsin and Xavier.

Ohio State is ranked fourth in the nation, Michigan State is 13th, Purdue is 21st, Northwestern is 31st, Kent State is 34th and Indiana rounds out the ranked teams at 37th.

The Irish did not play in last year’s tournament with their last appearance coming in April of 2000. Notre Dame tied for 10th in a field of 16 teams.

The Lady Buckeye Invitational signals an end to two golfers Notre Dame careers as Kristen McMurtrie (Sr., Calgary, Alb.) and Lauren Fuchs (Sr., Louisville, Ky.) will graduate in May. McMurtrie is second on this year’s squad with an 81.41 average in eight tournaments. For her career, the academic All-America candidate has played in 33 tournaments with an 83.01 average.

Fuchs has played in seven tournaments this season with an 85.11 average and for her career has played in 20 tournaments with an 85.28 mark.

The Irish are coming off an 11th-place finish at the Indiana Invitational April 6-7 where they shot a 967 (326-328-313). Freshman Karen Lotta (Los Angeles, Calif.) was Notre Dame’s top finisher at Indiana with an 18-over par total of 240 (78-84-78). She has led the Irish all season long and comes into this weekend with a 79.21 average and four top 10 finishes this season.

Lotta is followed in average by McMurtrie and sophomore Shannon Byrne (Arlington Height, Ill.) who is third in scoring with an 81.45 average.

Terri Taibl (Jr., Elm Grove, Wis.) and Rebecca Rogers (So., Alpharetta, Ga.) close out the group of six golfers that head coach Debby King will take to Ohio State.

Taibl owns an 82.24 average while Rogers, who is coming off a strong outing at the Indiana Invitational, has played in seven tournaments this year with an 83.82 average.