Oct. 24, 2004
STANFORD, Calif. – For the second time in as many years, the Notre Dame men’s golf team has set a 54-hole school scoring record at The Nelson Invitational. On Sunday, the Irish carded a final-round 287, finishing the three-day event with a score of 26-over par 854 (279-288-287), a full nine shots better than the previous school standard that was set at the 2003 Nelson Invitational. Notre Dame finished in ninth place at this year’s tournament, its best showing in three visits to The Nelson, which was hosted by Stanford University at the par-69, 6,444-yard Stanford Golf Course (a circuit that currently is being redesigned).
This weekend’s performance was another step in Notre Dame’s continued re-emergence on the national collegiate golf scene. Prior to John Jasinski’s arrival as head coach in 2001, the Irish had scored 875 or less only five times in the program’s first 72 seasons of action. In the four-year Jasinski era, Notre Dame has broken the 875 barrier four times — once in each of his four seasons.
Junior Eric Deutsch (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes) and sophomore Cole Isban (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) shared team-high honors this weekend, finishing among a group of seven golfers in 21st place at six-over par 213. That score also tied for the 10th-lowest tournament score in school history, and it was the best mark of Deutsch’s career. The 2004 all-BIG EAST selection fired a 216 at last year’s SMU/Stonebridge Invitational.
A pair of Irish freshmen also played well at The Nelson. Mike King (Sidney, Ohio/Sidney) carded the second-best score of his career with an eight-over par 215 to put him in a three-way tie for 31st place. Meanwhile, Greg Rodgers (Phoenix, Md./St. Paul’s) posted the lowest score of his young career, shooting a nine-over par 216 to wind up in 37th place. Junior Scott Gustafson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) completed the Notre Dame lineup with a tie for 65th place at 16-over par 223, matching his best mark of the season.
The Irish will wrap up the fall portion of their 2004-05 schedule Nov. 1-2 when they head to Palm Desert, Calif., for the fifth annual Prestige at PGA WEST. That tournament will be co-hosted by Stanford and UC Davis.
— ND —
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (54-hole totals): 1. New Mexico 830 (277-269-284); 2. UNLV 835 (279-268-288); 3. Georgia State 837 (275-279-283); 4. (tie) Missouri 844 (284-275-285) and Stanford 844 (285-279-280); 6. Kansas 847 (287-278-282); 7. Kansas State 849 (292-271-286); 8. Colorado 853 (291-280-282); 9. NOTRE DAME 854 (279-288-287); 10. UC Davis 859 (295-286-278); 11. West Florida 871 (292-287-292); 12. Idaho 875 (293-289-293); 13. (tie) Northern Colorado 876 (286-287-303) and Colorado State 876 (289-288-299); 15. Florida Southern 883 (291-296-296); 16. Texas-Pan American 902 (304-301-297).
TOP EIGHT INDIVIDUALS (of 84): 1. (tie) Steve Tiley* (Georgia State) 198 (67-67-64) and Spencer Levin (New Mexico) 198 (65-65-68); 3. Jared Texter (UNLV) 206 (70-65-71); 4. (tie) Jay Reynolds (New Mexico) 207 (68-67-72) and Tyler Docking (Kansas) 207 (68-69-70); 6. Ryan Moore (UNLV) 208 (67-70-71); 7. (tie) Travis Whisman (UNLV) 209 (71-64-74) and Kyle Gentry (Stanford) 209 (71-69-69).
* – won in playoff
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 84): 21. (tie) Eric Deutsch 213 (69-72-72) and Cole Isban 213 (69-73-71); 31. (tie) Mike King 215 (70-72-73); 37. (tie) Greg Rodgers 216 (74-71-71); 65. (tie) Scott Gustafson 223 (71-76-76).