April 12, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s golf team carded a 281 (-3) to capture the second-annual Battle at the Warren on Tuesday at the Warren Golf Course.
“I was very pleased to count four scores at par or below today,” stated Irish head coach Jim Kubinski. “Our course is a good test, so posting 281 is a solid job. I think it gives us a great deal of momentum heading to Tampa this weekend.”
The Irish held off the likes of Oakland (292, +8), Detroit Mercy (297, +13), Bradley (300, +16) and Jackson State (302, +18), who finished second through fifth respectively, to claim the victory. Oakland’s Michael Coriasso claimed the individual title, firing a bogey-free round of 67 (-4).
Max Scodro (Chicago, Ill.) and Jeff Chen (Walnut, Calif.) shared top honors amongst Irish golfers, carding a pair of two-under par, 69 scores with Scodro counting toward the team score, while Chen competed as an individual. The tally earned each a share of second place (out of 31 entrants).
“Max really played well,” remarked Kubinski. “He hit a ton of greens. It’s just nice to see him rewarded with a sub-70 round. He is in excellent form, also having posted 69 out here in qualifying on Saturday.”
Chris Walker (The Woodlands, Texas) finished second in the Irish rotation, carding a one-under par (70) on his round. He finished alone in fourth place.
“Chris looked great; very consistent today,” stated Kubinski. “He didn’t make a ton of putts but, when he does, he’ll fire some very low rounds. I just like the way he’s going about his business now. He’s practicing hard and thinking on the course.”
Niall Platt (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Paul McNamara III (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) tied for fifth in the field and shared third amongst the Irish rotation, posting identical scores of 71 (E). Connor Alan-Lee (Solana Beach, Calif.) rounded out the Irish starting five with a two-over par mark of 73 (+2), which was not carded toward the team score.
“The underclassmen, both Paul and Niall, are fun to watch,” said Kubinski. “They do an outstanding job around the greens and have been hitting it very consistently. I’m proud of their approach. They’re improving each and every day.”
“Connor saw his first lineup action since the Fall and did a great job,” continued Kubinski. “His score didn’t count only because we had four outstanding rounds. His 73 though earned him a tie for ninth of the 31 players in the field. It’s a great foundation for him moving forward. He hit a lot of quality golf shots today.”
Individually, Andrew Lane (Fairport, N.Y.), Dustin Zhang (Calgary, Alberta) and Andrew Carreon (San Antonio, Texas) finished at 76 (+5), 77 (+6) and 82 (+11), respectively.
The Irish return to the course this weekend when they begin their quest to capture the 2011 BIG EAST Championship on Sunday-Tuesday (April 17-19) at the Innisbrook Resort and Country Club in Palm Harbor, Fla. They enter the competition with an overall record of 70-24 in the head-to-head rankings.
Team Scores:1. NOTRE DAME 281 (-3)2. Oakland 292 (+8)3. Detroit Mercy 297 (+13)4. Bradley 300 (+16)5. Jackson State 302 (+18)
Top Five Individuals:1. Michael Coriasso, Oakland 67 (-4)T2. Max Scodro, Notre Dame 69 (-2)T2. Jeff Chen, Notre Dame (I) 69 (-2)4. Chris Walker, Notre Dame 70 (-1)T5. Jakob Ziegler, Oakland 71 (E)T5. Niall Platt, Notre Dame 71 (E)T5. Paul McNamara III, Notre Dame 71 (E)(I) - competed as an individual
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