Oct. 8, 2002
Franklin, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s golf team shot a final round total of 318 for a 54-hole total of 943 at the Shootout at the Legends Invitational on Tuesday. The Irish finished 55 strokes behind tournament champion Kent State as the Golden Flashes finished with a team-total of 24-over par at 888 after a final round total of 299. The 16-team tournament was played at the par 72, 6,122-yard Legends Golf Course.
Kent State went into Tuesday’s final round with a three-stroke lead on Indiana and went on to win the tournament by seven strokes over Missouri (298-297-300) as the Tigers finished second with an 895 total. Indiana fell to third after a final round 305 to finish with an 897 mark, nine shots behind Kent State. Wisconsin (303-296-299) matched Kent State’s sub-300 round with a 299 to move into fourth with a 902. One shot back was Illinois (303-296-304) as the Illini finished with a 903.
Indiana’s Karen Dennison (68-70-74) was the tournament medalist as she led from start-to-finish. A final round of two-over par 74 gave her a four-under par 212 for a four-stroke win over Malinda Johnson of Wisconsin. Johnson shot a final round of six-under par 66 to go with Monday’s rounds of 74 and 76 for an even-par 216. Veronique Drouin of Kent State was third with a 219 (75-73-71) and three golfers tied for fourth at four-over par 220, eight strokes behind Dennison. The trio included Wisconsin’s Katie Connelly (74-72-74), Minnesota’s Terra Petsinger (73-72-75) and Kent State’s Gabby Wedding (74-71-75).
Notre Dame was led by junior Rebecca Rogers (Jr., Alpharetta, Ga.), who tied for 42nd, 22 strokes off Dennison’s pace with a 54-hole total of 234. Rogers closed with a 76 after opening rounds of 78 and 80. Rogers was followed by freshman Katie Brophy (Spokane, Wash.) with a 236 (77-79-80), good for a tie for 51st.
Karen Lotta (So., Los Angeles, Calif.), who started the day tied for 26th, slid to 55th after a final round of 83 for her 237 total. Terri Taibl (Sr., Elm Grove, Wis.) tied for 69th with a 242 (81-77-84), freshman Lauren Gebauer (Columbus, Ohio) finished in a tie for 72nd with a 244 (84-80-80) and Shannon Byrne (Jr., Arlington Heights, Ill.) was 82nd with a 247 (86-79-82).
The Irish will next be in action next Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 14-15, when they travel to Wichita, Kan., for the Marilyn Smith Sunflower Invitational at Willowbend Golf Club.
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (54-hole totals): 1. Kent State 301-288-299-888; 2. Missouri 298-297-300-895; 3. Indiana 298-294-305-897; 4. Wisconsin 302-301-299-902; 5. Illinois 303-296-304-903; t6. Michigan 308-299-301-908; Northwestern 309-298-301-908; 8. Minnesota 306-299-308-913; 9. Iowa State 300-308-306-914; 10. Kansas State 318-301-302-921; 11. Kansas 309-306-310-925; 12. Toledo 313-307-316-936; 13. Notre Dame 316-309-318-943; 14. Iowa 326-305-318-949; 15. Eastern Michigan 322-317-313-952; 16. Bradley 326-318-318-962.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 96): 1. Karen Dennison (Indiana) 68-70-74-212; 2. Malinda Johnson (Wisconsin) 74-76-66-216; 3. Veronique Drouin (Kent State) 75-73-71-219; t4. Katie Connelly (Wisconsin) 74-72-74-220; Terra Petsinger (Minnesota) 73-72-75-220; Gabby Wedding (Kent State) 74-71-75-220; t7. Karyn Stordahl 75-74-72-221; Martina Gillen (Kent State) 74-74-73-221; t9. Laurin Kanda (Illinois) 73-72-78-223; Louise Kenney (Iowa State) 72-72-79-223; Stephanie Cheney (Illinois) 75-74-74-223; Laura Olin (Michigan) 75-76-72-223.
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 96): t42. Rebecca Rogers 78-80-76-234; t51. Katie Brophy 77-79-80-236; t55. Karen Lotta 80-74-83-237; t69. Terri Taibl 81-77-84-242; t72. Lauren Gebauer 84-80-80-244; t82. Shannon Byrne 86-79-82-247.