The Notre Dame Women's golf team will end its three and a half month hiatus Monday when it travels to Palos Verdes, Calif. for the Northrop Grumman Regional Championship. In the three-day tournament, which will begin the spring portion of their season, the No. 25 Irish will take on a field of 15 other universities, including No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 USC and No. 3 Arizona St.
The Irish are coming off of a somewhat successful fall season with one tournament title and two other top 5 finishes. In their victory in the Heather Farr Memorial last September, Notre Dame shot a 281, a record-low for the University.
The Irish will be led by sophomore So-Hyun Park. An All-American, Park leads the team with a 74.87 scoring average, including a 66 in the record-setting Heather Farr Memorial, which is also a University record.
Joining Park for the Irish will be freshman Becca Huffer, who has the second-best scoring average on the season. Huffer was recently named Colorado female high school athlete of the year for 2008, and has had an excellent first year for the Irish, having 13 out of her 15 scores counted.
Junior Annie Brophy leads the team with 14 out of 15 scores counted, and has played consistently for the Irish, averaging a 75.40 through 15 rounds. Brophy, Park and senior Lisa Maunu have each finished fourth individually in a tournament this season, the highest on the team. Park and Maunu finished tied for fourth at the Heather Farr, and Brophy finished fourth in the Lady Northern Tournament last October
The Irish lineup is rounded out by sophomore Katie Conway, who has averaged a 76.92 so far this season. She missed the first tournament for the Irish, but has competed in each of the others. Her 75 in the second round of the Heather Farr Memorial helped the Irish secure their record-setting performance.
The five Irish starters will play a total of 54 holes over a three day span, playing 18 holes Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with the top four scores each day counted towards their final total.
