April 25, 2004
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame golf teams both added another shade of gold to the famed Golden Dome as they each won the BIG EAST Conference Championship on Sunday afternoon at the Warren Golf Course in South Bend. The Irish men rallied from a five-stroke deficit to defeat three-time defending league champion Virginia Tech by six shots and capture Notre Dame’s fourth BIG EAST title (first since 1997). Meanwhile, the Irish women led all the way to claim their second consecutive conference championship with a 14-stroke victory over tournament runner-up Miami.
The Notre Dame men earned an added bonus with the BIG EAST’s automatic bid to the 2004 NCAA Championship, which begins with regional play May 20-22. The Irish, who are expected to be sent to the Central Regional in West Lafayette, Ind., will be making their first postseason appearance since 1966, and their first-ever in regional competition (which began in 1989).
Despite their win Sunday, the Irish women still are not guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Championship because the BIG EAST is not scheduled to receive its automatic bid to the tournament until the 2005-2006 campaign. However, Notre Dame is eligible to be selected as an at-large team when the field of 63 teams (21 teams at three regional sites) is announced Monday, April 26.
Full recaps of Sunday’s double victories at the BIG EAST Championship can be found at the following links:
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