May 9, 1999
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Notre Dame men’s golf team concluded its regular season in disappointing fashion Sunday, placing 15th out of 18 teams at the Wolverine Invitational.
Notre Dame entered Sunday’s final round in 15th place but failed to move up in a field that included most of the Midwest region’s top teams. The Irish bounced back from an opening-round 307 by shooting 296 on Saturday afternoon and 299 on Sunday for a 902 total, just one excruciating stroke behind Marshall and Louisville, two behind Wisconsin and four behind Indiana.
Junior co-captain Todd Vernon completed his late-season surge by pacing the Irish with a share of 17th place in the 96-player field and a 220 total (74-71-75) on the par-71, 6,687-yard University of Michigan Golf Course.
Senior co-captain Brad Hardin wrapped up the best season of his Irish career by carding rounds of 78-73-75 (226) for a share of 42nd. Junior Jeff Connell (77-79-73), senior Willie Kent (78-76-76) and freshman Steve Ratay (78-76-78) rounded out the Irish contingent.
Minnesota (288-273-288) ran away with the team title, besting runner-up Northwestern by 17 strokes. The Gophers also produced the individual medalist, with James McLean (69-63-70) posting a nine-stroke victory over runner-up Joss Daley of Northwestern.
NOTES: Hardin (74/45) – who was named Notre Dame’s team MVP for 1998-99 – edged Kent (74.60) by three strokes for the team’s best spring stroke average, with each counting to the team score in all 20 spring rounds … Kent held an even smaller margin over Hardin for the overall 1998-99 stroke average lead, with Kent totaling 2,467 strokes over 33 rounds for a 74.76 average while Hardin had two more total strokes (2,469) and a 74.81 average … other final ’98-’99 averages: Connell (75.65), Vernon (76.49) and Ratay (78.35, 17 spring rounds) … Kent – who joins Hardin as a potential individual entrant to the NCAAs – has slipped to second on the Notre Dame career stroke average list, at 74.55 (Charles Thurn averaged 74.43 strokes from 1956-58) … Vernon (75.89) edged ahead of Connell (75.97) into sixth on the Irish career stroke average list … Hardin’s memorable final season dropped his career average from 78.00 (prior to the season) to 76.47 (12th-best in Irish history) … Kent and Hardin’s season averages rank first and third-best at Notre Dame in the 1990s (Vernon averaged 74.59 in ’97-’98), with Kent’s ranking fifth all-time at Notre Dame (and best since 1980), behind: Joe Grace (73.13, ’55-’56), Thurn (73.88, ’55-’56), Bob Wilson (74.30, ’68-’69) and John Lundgren (74.40, ’79-’80) … just four Irish golfers have played more tournaments in the ’90s than Hardin (32): Brian Donohoe (38, ’93-’97), Bryan Weeks (34, ’94-’98), Joe Dennen (34, ’90-’93) and Joel Hepler (33, ’93-’97) … Hardin’s 88 rounds rank third by an Irish player in the decade, behind Weeks (93) and Donohoe (92) … Hardin also ranks third in rounds counted to team score in the ’90s, with 70 (Weeks 80, Donohoe 77) … rounds counted to team score in ’98-’99 (of 33): Kent 32, Hardin 31, Connell 26 (of 31), Vernon 24 and Ratay 8 (of 17) … career rounds counted: Kent (45 of 47), Vernon (66 of 77), Connell (55 of 64) and Hardin (70 of 88).
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS (54 holes): 1. Minnesota 288-273-288/849; 2. Northwestern 296-282-288/866; 3. Ball State 296-292-290/878; 4. Miami (OH) 296-296-290/882; 5. Eastern Michigan 291295-297/883; 6. Toledo 297-297-294/888; 7. Michigan State 294-297-298/889; 8. Iowa 300-294-298/892; Michigan 299-300-293/892; 10. Kentucky 296-299-300/895; 11. Indiana 300-301-297/898; 12. Wisconsin 296-303-301/900; 13. Marshall 298-299-304/901; Louisville 304-288-309/901; 15. Notre Dame 307-296-299/902; 16. Bowling Green 303-302-300/905; 17. Xavier 305-301-300/906; 18. Akron 297-309-301/907.
TOP INDIVIDUALS (of 96): 1. James McLean (MINN) 69-63-70/202; 2. Joss Daley (NW) 74-67-70/211; Martin LeMesurier (MINN) 72-72-67/211; 4. Ed Maunder (EMU) 68-73-72/213; Jamie Broce (BSU) 72-68-73/213; Adam Dooley (MINN) 69-67-77/213.
NOTRE DAME SCORES: 17. Todd Vernon 74-71-75/220; 42. Brad Hardin 78-73-75/226; 63. Jeff Connell 77-79-73/229; 66. Willie Kent 78-76-76/230; 78. Steve Ratay 78-76-78/232.