Aug. 17, 2004
MAMARONECK, N.Y. – Notre Dame rising sophomore Cole Isban (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian HS) just missed advancing to match play at the 2004 U.S. Amateur Championship as 36 holes of stroke play concluded late Tuesday afternoon at the famed Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., site of four U.S. Opens and nine total USGA championships. Isban finished in a tie for 99th place in the 312-man field with a two-round score of 12-over par 152 (77-75), coming up two strokes shy of the 64-player cut for match play. Playing on the longer 7,266-yard West Course at Winged Foot, Isban shot a seven-over par 77 in the opening round, which was delayed until Tuesday morning by rain. He registered 12 pars in the first round and shot a solid two-over 37 on the back nine. However, his round was hampered a bit with a crippling double bogey at the ninth hole, a blemish that would turn out to be the two-shot difference in his bid to advance. Isban kept himself in contention for match play during Tuesday’s second round, carding a five-over par 75 on the shorter 6,775-yard East Course at Winged Foot. Again, he logged a 37 on the back side, even collecting a birdie at the 547-yard par-five 12th hole. In the end, the front nine proved to be his undoing, with three bogeys, including one at the par-three third hole. For the tournament, Isban piled up 23 pars and finished one-under on the four par-five holes at the difficult championship-caliber layout. Isban, an all-BIG EAST Conference selection in 2004, will return to campus this weekend as he begins his sophomore year at Notre Dame. He and his Irish teammates will tee off the 2004-05 season in early September (the finalized schedule is awaiting approval and will be released shortly), with three home tournaments at the Warren Golf Course on the Notre Dame campus highlighting this year’s docket.
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