April 3, 2004
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Sophomore Mark Baldwin (Laconia, N.H./New Hampton Prep) fired an opening-round 74 (+2), his lowest score of the spring, and was one over par through 16 holes in his second round when play was suspended by darkness Saturday afternoon at the Cleveland Golf/Augusta State Invitational. Baldwin and freshman Cole Isban (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian HS) both are three-over par midway through the second round, with Notre Dame currently standing 18th in the high-powered 18-team tournament, which is being contested at the par 72, 7,231-yard Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.
Baldwin is on pace to card his best two-round score since the 2002 Nelson Invitational at Stanford, when he opened with a career-low 139. Meanwhile, Isban had the top individual highlight for the Irish, registering the only eagle of the day at the 565-yard, par-5 sixth hole, which has been playing as one of the toughest holes on the course through two rounds. Isban posted a first-round 75 and is even through 14 holes on his second circuit.
Sophomore Scott Gustafson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) has been through a roller-coaster ride in his first two rounds. The all-BIG EAST Conference selection had four birdies, three bogeys and two double bogeys in his opening 18 holes, finishing with a three-over 75. He is two-over par through 15 holes on his second round, having charted three more birdies, but also three more bogies and another double.
Gustafson’s classmate, Tommy Balderston (Boca Raton, Fla./St. Andrews HS) has had perhaps the strangest tournament for the Irish to date. His first round looked solid with a two-over 74, but the bogey blues have caught up with the all-conference pick in round two, as he is 12-over par with four holes left to go. Sophomore Daniel Klauer (Granger, Ind./Mishawaka Marian HS) was the only Notre Dame golfer to complete his second round, logging a 16-over par 160 (81-79) in his second tournament of the spring.
The Irish will return to the course at 9 a.m. (ET) Sunday to complete the second round before the field is reseeded for the final round later that day.
– ND –