Sept. 12, 2011
WAYZATA, Minn. – The University of Notre Dame men’s golf team concluded the Gopher Invitational in third place after firing a final round 307 (+19) on Monday at Spring Hill Golf Course. Individually, senior Max Scodro (Chicago, Ill.) led the way for the Irish after posting a 219 (+3) score.
The Irish entered Monday’s final round holding a four shot advantage over Arkansas, but could not hold on to the lead as the Razorbacks rode a final round 299 (+11) to secure the title at 16-over par (880) for the three rounds. North Texas, meanwhile, slipped into second at 883 (+19) with the Irish one shot shy of the Mean Green at 884 (+20).
“I’m very disappointed in our play today,” said Irish head coach Jim Kubinski. “Conditions were much tougher but we have to find a way to get through with a 77 or 78. You can’t count scores in the 80s at this level. We made some mental errors and had several bad swings.
“On the positive side,” continued Kubinski, “we finished third in a good field with far less than our best. We need to shore up a few things and put today behind us. We’ll get it right and head into Olympia Fields with some extra motivation this weekend.”
Scodro, who entered the day with the third best score amongst the Irish, used a final round 72 (E) to finish atop Notre Dame’s starting five. The senior notched three birdies to offset one bogey and a double bogey to go along with 13 pars, earning a share of sixth place overall in the field.
Sophomore Niall Platt (Santa Barbara, Calif.), meanwhile, battled through an up-and-down round to conclude his final day with a 75 (+3). While only recording five pars on the day, Platt mixed in five birdies and eight bogeys to finish a shot behind Scodro’s score at 220 (+4) and grab a share of eighth place overall.
Junior Paul McNamara III (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.), who entered the day atop the individual leaderboard, struggled to find his rhythm over his final 18 holes, carding an 85 (+13) which was not counted toward the team score. McNamara recorded six bogeys, two double bogeys and a triple bogey on the round to finish his tournament tied for 22nd at eight over par (222).
Senior Chris Walker (The Woodlands, Texas) climbed five spots on the leaderboard on Monday, putting together a final round 77 (+5). After playing through the first 15 holes at seven over on the day, Walker netted an eagle-3 at the par-5, 16th hole to end his round on a high note. Walker finished tied for 32nd overall at 228 (+12).
Fellow senior Tom Usher (Baildon, England) was the final score to count for the Irish on the day, as he posted an 83 (+11). He recorded five bogeys, two double bogeys and triple bogey but was able to mark down a birdie on the par-5, 16th hole. Usher ended the tournament tied for 42nd at 15-over par (231).
Notre Dame has a quick turnaround for its next tournament as the squad returns to the course this upcoming weekend (Sept. 16-18). The Irish take to the course in the Olympia Fields Invitational at the legendary Olympia Field Country Club in Chicago, Ill., in a tournament hosted by the University of Illinois.
Gopher Invitational – Spring Hill Golf Course – Par 72, 7,020 yards
Top-Five Team Scores (Final):1. Arkansas 880 +162. North Texas 883 +193. NOTRE DAME 884 +204. SMU 892 +285. Charlotte 893 +29
Top-Six Individual Scores (Final):1. Chris Brant, Iowa 214 -22. Barrett Kelpin, Iowa 215 -1T3. Kevin Hesbois, Lamar 217 +1T3. Mackenzie Hughes, Kent State 217 +15. Ethan Tracy, Arkansas 218 +2
Notre Dame Results (Final):T6. Max Scodro 219 +3T8. Niall Platt 220 +4T22. Paul McNamara III 224 +8T32. Chris Walker 228 +12T42. Tom Usher 231 +15
–ND–