Sept. 29, 2001
Notre Dame, Ind, – The Notre Dame women’s golf team opened the 2001 fall schedule on Saturday looking to defend their Notre Dame Invitational title. After 36 holes, the Irish are in the hunt as they go into Sunday’s final round with a 659 total, just four strokes off the pace set by tourney leaders, Wichita State and Iowa, as both have 655 totals after 36 holes. The final 18 holes will be played on the par 72, 5,955-yard Warren Golf Courseon Sunday, Sept. 30 beginning with a shotgun start at 8:00 a.m. The tournament is free and open to the public.
Wichita State led the tournament after the opening round with a 327 total while the Irish were a stroke back in second with a 328 mark. The Shockers continued their steady play in the second round with a 328 total while Iowa shot the best team-round of the day – a 319 in the second round – to move from a sixth place tie into a tie for the top spot. Northern Iowa was third with a 657 (332-335) and Western Michigan rounded out the top five with a 663 total (336-327).
Individually, ten golfers are within six shots of the lead which is held by Iowa’s Heather Suhr who shot 83-75 for a 158 total. Her second round 75 was the low round of the day. The group of 10 includes a pair of Notre Dame golfers who are tied for seventh overall. Shannon Byrne (So., Arlington Heights, Ill.) and Karen Lotta (Fr., Los Angeles, Calif.) are six-strokes behind Suhr as each have 36-hole totals of 164. Byrne opened with the second-best score of the first round with a 79 and followed with and 85. Lotta, playing in her first collegiate tournament, opened with an 85 and turned in a 79 for her 164.
Second place is held by Wichita State’s Amy Lee who turned in a 159 (80-79) and is one stroke behind the tournament leader. She is followed by Maria Jose Hurtado of Arkansas-Little Rock who had a 36-hole total of 160 (79-81), Xavier’s Amy Fowler, the first round leader with a 78, is fourth after shooting an 84 in the second round for a 162. Northern Iowa’s Karla Schundt (81-82) and Western Michigan’s Katie Yoder (80-83) round out the top five, five strokes behind Suhr with 163 totals.
In all, the Irish have three golfers in the top 20 as each team played six and counted four of the scores. Senior Kristin McMurtrie (Calgary, Alb.) is tied for 16th with a 166 (84-82). Junior Terri Taibl (Elm Grove, Wisc.) and sophomore Jeanne Murphy (Alexandria, Va.) are tied for 23rd with 168 totals. Taibl turned in rounds of 82-86, while Murphy fired rounds of 83 and 85. Rebecca Rogers (So., Alpharetta, Ga.), the individual defending champion, is tied for 68th after rounds of 95 and 85 for a 180 total.
The remaining team members played as individuals. Freshman Casey Rotella (Keswick, Va.) was fourth after a first round 80, but shot an 89 in the second round to tie for 30th with a 169. Shelby Strong (Jr., Stillwater, Minn.) is tied for 35th with a 171 (84-87) and senior Lauren Fuchs (Louisville, Ky.) is tied for 43rd with a 172 (86-86).
TEAM RESULTS (36-hole totals): tie1. Iowa 336-319-655, Wichita State 327-328-655, 3. Northern Iowa 332-325-657, 4. Notre Dame 328-331-659, 5. Western Michigan 336-327-663, 6. Arkansas-Little Rock 331-336-667, 7. Cincinnati 333-342-675, 8. Butler University 343-333-676, 9. Northern Illinois 341-339-680, 10. Xavier 338-344-682, 11. Ball State 348-337-685, 12. Creighton 351-336-687, 13. S.W. Missouri State 341-360-701, 14. Texas-Pan American 364-347-711, 15. Evansville 370-368-738.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 89): 1. Heather Suhr (Iowa) 83-75-158, 2. Amy Lee (Wichita State) 80-79-159, 3. Maria Jose Hurtado (Arkansas-Little Rock) 79-81-160, 4. Abby Fowler (Xavier) 78-84-162, tie 5. Karla Schuldt (Northern Iowa) 81-82-163, Katie Yoder (Western Michigan) 80-83-163, 7. Shannon Byrne 79-85-164, Karen Lotta (Notre Dame) 85-79-164, Heather Brooks (Wichita State) 82-82-164, Allison Beam (No. Illinois) 84-80-164.
OTHER NOTRE DAME GOLFERS (of 89): t16. Kristin McMurtrie 84-82-164, t23 Terri Taibl 82-86-168, Jeanne Murphy 83-85-168, t30 Casey Rotella 80-89-169, t35. Shelby Strong 84-87-171, t43. Lauren Fuchs 86-86-172, t68. Rebecca Rogers 95-85-180.