Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Friday, March 29, 2024
The Observer

Irish head to Franklin to play in Shootout

The Irish will look to continue their winning ways as they head to Franklin, Ind. to play in the Shootout at the Legends. The team won arguably its biggest tournament in the 16-year history of the program last weekend, taking the Jeannine McHaney Invitational/Central Regional Preview and defeating then-No. 1 ranked Missouri in the process. The 54-hole event will run all day today and Tuesday, with 36 holes being played today with the final round taking place Tuesday. The tournament will be conducted in the six-count-four format, with all six golfers competing for each team and the top four scores each round counting towards the overall team score.Though this tournament may not have the top-to-bottom firepower of the McHaney Invitational, the Irish will still face a tough challenge in the field of 12 competitors. Their toughest competition will come from nemesis Michigan, who the Irish already faced at the Lady Northern Invitational in Ann Arbor."We see a lot of top teams throughout the year, and that really helps us out," coach Debby King said.With performances like last weekend's, the Irish are becoming a top team themselves, and this week they send a lineup capable of achievement and becoming more consistent with each passing week. "I've been trying to instill that they are not a break 80 team, but can break 75 - each one [of them]," King said.Leading the team will be junior co-captain Katie Brophy, who broke 75 twice on her way to an individual title at the Central Regional preview, shooting a 69 and a 72 to win her school-record third individual title. Sophomores Noriko Nakazaki and Stacy Brown will join Brophy at the Shootout. Both did well and cracked the top 15 last weekend. with Nakazaki tying for 10th with a five-over-par 149. Brown finished 1 stroke behind, tying for 14th with a total score of 150. Junior Lauren Gebauer and freshman Jane Lee, who both competed and did well last weekend, will also travel to Franklin to play over the next two days. Rounding out the Irish lineup will be junior co-captain Suzie Hayes, who will be competing in her second tournament of the season.Hayes, along with co-captain Brophy, have been largely responsible for the chemistry of the team, which may go far to explain their growing success."That's one of the biggest assets to this team," King said about their chemistry. "There is no animosity among team members at all, and they wish the best for each other."