March 15, 2001
The University of Notre Dame women’s golf team played well at the 15th Annual Snowbird Intercollegiate on Thursday, shooting a 36-over par, 324 for the first 18 holes at Pebblecreek Country Club. The Irish head into the second day of the 36-hole tournament tied for fourth in a field of 17.
The leader after 18 holes is Arkansas State University, which shot 305 (+17) on the 5,940-yard, par 72 course. Southern Illinois University (313) and the University of Toledo (321) are second and third, respectively, while the University of Illinois is tied with Notre Dame for fourth place.
Freshman Shannon Byrne (Arlington Heights, Ill.) shot a six-over par, 78 to lead the Irish and is tied for 11th in the individual leaders. Byrne is just five strokes behind co-leaders Shellie Wenzel (Arkansas State) and Jennifer Shutt (Southern Illinois), who shot one-over par, 73 for the opening round. Competing only as individuals, sophomore Terri Taibl (Elm Grove, Wisc.) shot a seven-over par, 79 (tied for 18th) and junior Lauren Fuchs (Louisville, Ky.) carded an eight-over par, 80 (tied for 22nd).
The entire Irish contingent shot well, as all ten finished with rounds of 84 or better. In team play, senior Shane Smith (St. Petersburg, Fla.), junior Kristin McMurtrie (Calgary, Alb.) and freshman Rebecca Rogers (Alpharetta, Ga.) all shot 10-over par, 82, while senior Danielle Villarosa (Verona, N.J.) carded an 11-over, 83. Smith, McMurtrie and Rogers are tied for 30th in the 110-golfer field and Villarosa is tied for 38th. Competing as individuals, freshman Jeanne Murphy (Alexandria, Va.) and sophomore Priscilla Ro (Falls Church, Va.) took 83 strokes to navigate the course, while sophomore Shelby Strong (Stillwater, Minn.) shot a 12-over par, 84.
In the season-opening Carolina’s Collegiate Golf Classic, the Irish finished 22nd and Byrne’s 81 in the final round was the lone score by a Notre Dame golfer below 86 and no Irish golfer finished higher than a tie for 75th.
TEAM RESULTS (18 of 36 holes): 1. Arkansas State University 305, 2. Southern Illinois University 313, 3. University of Toledo 321, 4. University of Notre Dame 324, University of Illinois 324, 6. University of Texas-Pan Am 325, University of Idaho 325, 8. Yale University 326, 9. Lynn University 327, 10. Bowling Green State University 333, 11. Northern Illinois University 334, 12. Eastern Kentucky University 336, 13. University of Cincinnati 343, 14. University of Indianapolis 349, 15. John A. Logan College 356, 16. Baldwin-Wallace College 389, 17. Illinois Wesleyan University 394.
TOP INDIVIDUALS (of 110): 1. Shellie Wenzel (Arkansas State) 73, Jennifer Shutt (Southern Illinois) 73, 3. Gabriella Jakobsson (Lynn) 75, 4. Kristine Worden (Arkansas State) 76, Julie Wells (Idaho) 76, Sarah Seo (Yale) 76, Sara Crips (Arkansas State) 76, 8. Melissa Holland (Arkansas State) 77, Stephanie Elsea (Bowling Green) 77, Laurin Kanda (Illinois) 77.
NOTRE DAME SCORES: t11. Shannon Byrne 78, t18. Terri Taibl 79, t22. Lauren Fuchs 80, t30. Shane Smith 82, Kristin McMurtrie 82, Rebecca Rogers 82, t38. Danielle Villarosa 83, Jeanne Murphy 83, Priscilla Ro 83, t47. Shelby Strong 84.