This past weekend, the Notre Dame women’s golf team placed fifth after a long battle at the 2018 Bettie Lou Evan Invitational.
After placing first in the event in 2017, a performance in which the Irish set a number of Bettie Lou Invitational records, Notre Dame managed to put up a solid performance, but the result was noticeably shy of last year’s top results.
Overall, the ladies scored a total of 881, comprised of a first-round 3-over-par 291, a second-round 5-over-par 293 and a third-round nine-over-par 297, which left the team 17-over par on the tournament.
Senior Emma Albrecht, who was a co-medalist at last year’s event, finished tied for fourth overall and led the Irish in scoring with a three-round total of 213. Her score was comprised of a first-round two-under-par 70, a second-round one-under-par 71 and a final-round even-par 72, leaving her at three-under-par for the tournament.
The rest of the Irish golfers finished in the top-50. Senior Maddie Rose Hamilton placed second for the Irish with a three-day total of 222. Her performance consisted of an opening-round even-par 72, a second-round four-over-par 76 and a final-round two-over-par 72, leaving her at six-over-par for the tournament. She finished tied for 29th at the event.
Hamilton was followed by sophomore Abby Heck, who ended the tournament with a score of 224 after a first-round even-par 72, a second-round three-over-par 75 and a third-round five-over-par 77, leaving her at eight-over-par for the tournament. Heck tied for 33rd over the weekend.
Freshman Claire Albrecht finished with a score of 228 on the tournament, good for a tie at 44th place. During her first appearance at the Bettie Lou Evan Invitational, she posted a first-round five-over-par 77, a second-round two-over-par 74 and a third-round five-over par 77, leaving her at 12-over-par on the tournament.
Senior Isabella DiLisio finished the tournament with a total score of 229 after an opening-round 10-over-par 82, a second-round one-over-par 73 and a final-round two-over-par 74, leaving her at 13-over-par for the tournament. DiLisio finished the tournament tied for 47th place.
Junior Mia Ayer participated as an individual and finished with a three-day total of 231 after an opening-round three-over-par 75, a second-round seven-over-par 79 and a final-round 5-over-par 77, leaving her at 15-over par for the tournament and tied for 53rd.
The Wildcats of the University of Kentucky finished the tournament, which they hosted, first overall with a final score of 858 after an opening-round eight-under-par 280, a second-round two-under-par 286 and a third-round four-over-par 292, leaving the squad six-under par for the tournament. Even with the final round gaffe, the Wildcats’ score topped the first-place score of last year’s Bettie Lou Evans Invitational, which was Notre Dame’s eight-over-par 872 after an opening-round four-under-par 284, a second-round eight-over-par 296 and a final-round four-over-par 292. Behind the Wildcats, in second place, were the Nittany Lions of Penn State, who finished the tournament with a final score of 860, good for four-under-par. In third place behind the Nittany Lions was Middle Tennessee, who was significantly behind the top-two finishing teams, as it finished the Bettie Lou Evans Invitational with a five-over-par 869, which was nine strokes off second-place Penn State and 11 strokes off the first-place Wildcats.
The Irish will be continuing their season Oct. 26-28 in Wilmington, North Carolina, in the Landfall Tradition.
