The Notre Dame women’s golf team wrapped up its season last weekend at the ACC Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Irish finished in last place with a three-round score of 917 (+53). Notre Dame’s best individual result was courtesy of freshman Bridget Wilkie, who shot 225 (+9) en route to a T-40 finish.
Wilkie’s best showing came in round two, shooting 71 (-1) and totaling six birdies throughout. The freshman has been one of Notre Dame’s most consistent golfers throughout both the fall and spring. After a positive outing in Greensboro, she is now primed to play an even larger role come next fall.
Senior Montgomery Ferreira and freshman Faustine Errecade tied at 234 (+18), placing them level at 60th overall. Just trailing Ferreira and Errecade was sophomore Alexsandra Lapple at 62nd with a score of 235 (+19). Freshman Maddy Bante rounded out Notre Dame’s starting five with a 241 (+25). Although Bante finished with the highest score on the team, her tally was inflated by an 88 (+16) in round one. She bounced back in rounds two and three, shooting 75 (+3) and 78 (+6), highlighted by notching the Irish’s lone eagle.
Despite the result, Notre Dame gained valuable experience on the links this past weekend, going up against the best the ACC has to offer. Head coach Caroline Powers Ellis has successfully laid a foundation for the program’s future, as four of her five golfers are underclassmen. In 11 total meets through the year, Notre Dame finished in the top 10 seven times and in the top 5 three times.
Heading into next year, the Irish are set to return seven players. Ferreira and classmate Maya Hunter will both depart the program. Ferreira leaves the program as a four-year contributor and the final player recruited by Susan Holt before Powers Ellis took over in 2022. Ferreira got the Powers Ellis era off to a strong start with a tie for first place finish at the Badger Invitational in 2022 — Ellis’s first event as head coach.
Hunter leaves the program after one year in South Bend. She spent her first three collegiate seasons at Northern Michigan University, where she earned a spot on the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference first team. Hunter’s last performance with Notre Dame was her best, shooting 224 (+8) at the Terrapin Invitational.
Notre Dame will seek to build upon their performance this year with lessons the young squad learned on the course and lessons passed down by Ferreira and Hunter. Next season will mark Powers Ellis’ fourth with the program.
