May 21, 2011
BRYAN, Texas – The University of Notre Dame women’s golf team completed the 2011 NCAA Championship in 22nd place Saturday at the Traditions Club Golf Course in Bryan, Texas. Junior Becca Huffer (Denver, Colo./Littleton) led the Irish in the tournament as she registered a four-round total of 296 (+8), while playing even-par to conclude the event in 22nd place.
Despite the storms through the night in Bryan, Texas, that pushed Notre Dame’s tee times back a half hour, the Irish avoided most of the unfavorable weather conditions Saturday, excluding a 10 minute rain shower to begin the day.
Huffer carded an eight-over par 80 on the first day of the tournament but didn’t give up any strokes after that as she played one-under par during the second round, followed by a 73 (+1) during the third round and a 72 on the final day. Huffer and the rest of the Irish team played the back nine holes of the course first, and the junior birdied on the 13th hole and evened it out with a bogey on the 15th hole. Huffer then remained even on the final 12 holes of the day.
Senior captain Katie Conway (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) concluded her career as a member of the Notre Dame women’s golf team with her best round of the tournament. She registered a two-over par 74 and during her initial nine holes she played up and down well as she bogeyed three holes and birdied three holes, which placed her at an even-par 36 as she made the turn to the final nine holes. On the front nine, she carded back-to-back bogeys on the fourth and fifth holes, followed by a bogey on the seventh hole to place her at three-over par heading into the final hole. Conway capped her Irish career off with a birdie on the ninth hole and a four-round total of 307 (+19) to finish in a tie for 74th place.
Freshman Nicole Zhang (Calgary, Alberta/Bishop Carroll) registered an 85 (+13) to conclude the NCAA Finals. The freshman played through the back nine at six-over par, followed by a 43 (+7) on the front nine. Zhang totaled a four-day score of 315 (+27) and finished in a tie for 106th place.
Senior So-Hyun Park (Seoul, South Korea/Bradenton Prep Academy) also recorded her best round of the tournament, a three-over par 75. The senior played through the initial nine holes at 38 (+2), including a bogey on the 13th hole, followed by a birdie on the 15th hole to bring her score back to even. Before she made the turn to the final nine holes of her career with the Irish, she played back-to-back bogeys on holes 17 and 18. While on the front nine, she played at one-over par (37), including a birdie on the eighth hole. Park compiled a four-day total of 318 (+30) and finished the tournament tied for 111th place.
Freshman Kristina Nhim (Cypress, Calif./Cypress) began the day on the 10th hole with a birdie and she remained at one-under par until the 12th hole when she bogeyed. The freshman also carded bogeys on the 13th and 16th holes to make the first at two-over par. On the front nine of the course, she played even-par on six holes, but bogeyed No. 1 and No. 9 and double-bogeyed No. 8 to finish tied for 115th at 322 (+34).
Due to lightning on Friday night that caused a two and a half hour delay, there were six teams that played the remainder of the third round Saturday, before later teeing off for their final round.
Top-10 Team Leaderboard
1. UCLA (289-295-294-295-1173/+21)
2. Purdue (292-295-298-292/+25)
3. LSU (292-296-303-290-1181/+29)
4. Virginia (291-300-299-296-1186/+34)
T5. Southern California (302-302-292-294-1190/+38)
T5. Arkansas (305-296-296-293-1190/+38)
7. Texas A&M (295-294-302-300-1191/+39)
T8. North Carolina (305-293-297-298-1193/+41)
T8. Alabama (301-303-297-292-1193/+41)
T10. Vanderbilt (297-294-304-301-1196/+44)
T10. Florida (294-298-309-295-1196/+44)
Irish Leaderboard
T24. Becca Huffer (80-71-73-72-296/+8)
T74. Katie Conway (75-78-80-74-307/+19)
T106. Nicole Zhang (77-79-76-85-315/+27)
T-111. So-Hyun Park (81-82-80-75-318/+30)
T115. Kristina Nhim (76-85-83-78-322/+34)
–ND–