Notre Dame sophomore Kelli Oride of Lihu‘e carded an even-par score through her first round at the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic in Norman, Oklahoma, Monday. The performance helped lead Notre Dame to a tie for second place after finishing a
Notre Dame sophomore Kelli Oride of Lihu‘e carded an even-par score through her first round at the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic in Norman, Oklahoma, Monday.
The performance helped lead Notre Dame to a tie for second place after finishing a one-over par 289 in opening play during the three-day tournament which is being played at the par-72 Jimmy Austin OU Golf Club measuring 6,327 yards, states a release from Notre Dame.
Following the opening round, the Irish trail Oklahoma by five strokes after the Sooners carded a four-under par 284. Notre Dame sits in a three-way tie for second with Texas Tech and Texas State, both of whom the Irish have defeated this fall.
“We started out slow today, but caught a nice surge from Hole 10 to Hole 12, shooting a four-under par as a team,” said Susan Holt, head coach for Notre Dame, in the release. “Freshman Lindsey Weaver and Kelli Oride both performed well for us today.”
Oride parred 12 holes on the day and birdied three. In her last outing, Oride birdied just two holes and has the opportunity over the next two days to finish well, the Kaua‘i High School graduate currently sitting in a six-way tie for 13th place.
Weaver, of Scottsdale, Ariz., fired the best round of her collegiate career, firing a four-under par 68 to put her in a three-way tie for first.
During the outing, the Irish freshman birdied seven holes on the day and three in her final four holes. This will mark the third tournament in a row that Weaver has shot a round under-par.
Tied with Weaver for the lead are junior Tonje Daffinrud from the University of Denver, who follows Notre Dame a stroke back with a team 290, and senior Kimerly Kaufman of Texas Tech. Junior Sanna Nuutinen of TCU is in fourth place, knocking hard on the door after firing a three-under par 69.
“This course scores well, but is a great equalizer, allowing a lot of teams a chance to get back in at any point,” Holt said. “Oklahoma is going to be tough to beat. They know the course better than any team out here. We are going to have to really get after it the next two days to keep pace with Oklahoma.”
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
