ND WOMEN'S GOLF: Irish hope to breeze to top 5 finish
JOE LINDSLEY
Sports Writer
The Notre Dame women's golf team battled 30 mile-per-hour winds as they practiced for the tournament at Alvamar Golf Club in Lawrence, Kansas Sunday.
Today, with another windy day expected, the Irish will take on the weather as well as some imposing competition at the Marylinn Smith Sunflower Invitational, hosted by the University of Kansas.
After their last place finish in one of the most competitive fields they will see all year at last week's Shoot-out at the Legends tournament, the Irish are hoping for a higher place after three rounds of play at the par 72, 5800-yard Alvamar Golf Course.
"We can do a top five finish this week, just like we did at [the Notre Dame Invitational]," said Irish coach Debbie King, who believes the golfers are fairly confident.
"[Despite the wind] we had a good practice round Sunday," King said. "The wind was really blowing — I mean howling. That's going to make it tough [on Monday]."
Senior Kristin McMurtrie, junior Terri Taibl, sophomores Rebecca Rogers and Shannon Byrne, and freshman Karen Lotta will represent Notre Dame in Lawrence.
McMurtrie led the Irish last week, and Taibl and Rogers replace junior Lauren Fuchs and freshman Jeanne Murphy.
"Karen Lotta and Kristen McMurtrie have been pretty steady at finishing quite fine," King said.
Although the field will not be as competitive as last week, the Irish still expect a challenge, with Oklahoma, Iowa State, Kansas State, and Kansas competing.
The course itself though may be easier than previous courses the Irish have tackled.
"This course is a lot shorter than we've been playing all other tournaments," Lotta said. "If we putt well, our team can score really well."
With their season about to wind up, the Irish would really like to finish in the top five in Lawrence.
"We shot 309 last week, and we posted a score that was competitive with other teams when the field was really strong," McMurtrie said. "We have a few changes in the line-up this week, but I think everyone's ready to play and everyone [is hitting] the ball real solid right now. And I definitely think we can post low scores, especially since our season is winding down."
Thanks to King, though, what was supposed to be their last tournament until February will now be the second to last.
"I called around some coaches and got the team into another tournament," King said.
Notre Dame will play at Texas A&M in mid-November.
The addition to their schedule seems to have reduced some of the pressure on the Irish golfers.
"Everyone's a little excited now because it's not the end of our season, we still have one more tournament," McMurtrie said. "Everyone wants a chance to play a little better both for themselves and for the team, "especially girls that are in the line-up for the first time this fall, they are definitely excited to get a chance to prove themselves."
With a forecast of 16 mile-per -hour winds and showers for today, chances are the Irish will have that additional opponent tomorrow.
All Sports Stories for Monday, October 15, 2001
