The Irish continued to make program history with a first-place finish at Nebraska’s Chip-N Club Invitational this weekend at the Country Club of Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Notre Dame posted a 4-under-par 860 (297-280-283) to win the tournament, beating No. 2 South Dakota State by 30 strokes. This marks the second first-place finish the Irish have brought home in 2015, the first being a victory at the Mary Fossum Invitational on Sept. 12 and 13. Notre Dame’s win also put the Irish in the lead for lowest team score in the Chip-N Club Invitational record, as it passed Kent State’s 2001 record-low score by 12 strokes (872).
The Irish, who have finished in the top-five of their past two tournaments, opened Monday’s play slowly before picking up in the afternoon round with an 8-under-par 280, the lowest score relative to par in the program’s 28-year history. During the two-day event, the Irish posted 44 birdies, and all six Notre Dame golfers, which included the five starters and one individual competitor, hit par or lower in nine of a possible 12 rounds and carded three rounds in the 60s. The six each finished in the top 15 of the 75-person field.
Notre Dame’s second-round score Monday improved upon the team’s opening-round score of 297 by 17 strokes, leveraging the its position heading into Tuesday. Freshman Isabella DiLisio lead the charge for the Irish on Monday with a 2-under 142 (76-66) on the day, tying for first individually with South Dakota State junior Megan Mingo. DiLisio also tied the Notre Dame’s single-round record with her 66 (-6) on the day’s back 18, winning her second career top-five finish.
Following closely behind DiLisio, sophomore Kari Bellville finished Monday tied for fourth place and recorded a career-low 68 (-2) in the second round, while junior Jordan Ferreira finished the day tied for seventh with the team’s individual competitor, freshman Maddie Rose Hamilton, at 145 (73-72).
“Playing our second round Monday, we felt more comfortable with the course and were able to play more aggressively,” Ferreira said.
The Irish went into the second day of the tournament without skipping a beat, as they continued to increase their first-day lead. DiLisio continued to build off her strong day one performance, finishing the second round with an even-par 72 and ultimately the tournament at No. 2, just two strokes behind Kansas senior Yupaporn Kawinpakorn (72-72-68-212). Senior Talia Campbell shined in the third round, posting a 66 (-6) for the round, bringing her tournament total to 215 (-1). Campbell finished in third place at a one-under par 215 (74-75-66), clinching her second top-three finish of the season and her second career 66. Campbell had seven birdies and one bogey on the tournament.
Among Notre Dame’s top-15 finishes, four were in the top four, with Hamilton and Belville matching career-low scores of even-par 216 for fourth place. Ferreira finished in tenth with a 219 (+3), while freshman Emma Albrecht came tied for 14th (221).
Ferreira said preparation at practice in between tournaments was the key to the Irish being able to play so effectively at the Chip-N Club Invitational.
“We all put in the hours to improve our games since [the Schooner Invitational in] Oklahoma,” Ferreira said. “I think our diligence paid off.”
The Irish return to action at the Cardinal Cup on Oct. 19 and 20 at the Cardinal Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
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