April 2, 2006
EVANS, Ga. – The University of Notre Dame men’s golf team shot a final-round 297 and moved up one spot to finish tied for 11th place at the powerful Administaff Augusta State Invitational, which concluded Sunday at the Champions Retreat Golf Club (par 72/7,265 yards) in Evans, Ga. The Irish ended up with a three-round total of 25-over par 889 (299-293-297), squaring them with old BIG EAST Conference rival Virginia Tech, and putting them six strokes clear of 12th-ranked Tennessee in the final standings. Coastal Carolina won the tournament with a 54-hole total of 10-under par 854.
Junior tri-captain Cole Isban (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) was in the hunt for the individual title with a fourth-place tie heading into Sunday’s final round, but he stumbled a bit and finished tied for 13th overall at even-par 216 (74-67-75). Nevertheless, it was Isban’s second team-leading finish of the season, after he paced the Irish with a tie for medalist honors at the Shoal Creek Intercollegiate back on Sept. 26-27 in Birmingham, Ala.
Freshman Josh Sandman (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) wrapped up a solid college debut, tying for 25th place at three-over par 219 (74-71-74). Sandman, who was sidelined for much of the fall with a nagging back injury, was perhaps the most consistent Notre Dame golfer this weekend, and even carded an eagle on the fourth hole of his college career during Saturday’s opening round.
Senior tri-captains Scott Gustafson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) and Mark Baldwin (Laconia, N.H./New Hampton Prep) each took home a share of 67th place with matching scores of 12-over par 228. Gustafson had the low round of the day for the Irish on Sunday with an even-par 72, following two rounds of 78 on Saturday. Meanwhile, Baldwin shot rounds of 73, 77 and 78 during his stay in Georgia — amazingly, Sunday’s 78 marked the first time in 21 rounds this season that Baldwin’s score did not count to the team total. Sophomore Mike King (Sidney, Ohio/Sidney) was the final Irish scorer, finishing 71st at 16-over par 232 (78-78-76).
Notre Dame returns to action next Saturday and Sunday (April 8-9) at the Boilermaker Invitational in West Lafayette, Ind. Hosted by Purdue, the event will take place at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex (Kampen Course), the site of the 2004 NCAA Central Regional (which was the first Irish appearance in the postseason since 1966).
— ND —
Administaff Augusta State Invitational
April 1-2, 2006
Champions Retreat Golf Club (par 72/7,265 yards)
Evans, Ga.
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (54-hole totals): 1. Coastal Carolina 854 (282-283-289); 2. South Carolina-Aiken 859 (286-289-284); 3. Clemson 864 (284-289-291); 4. Minnesota 866 (283-288-295); 5. UCLA 867 (292-286-289); 6. Augusta State 871 (293-286-292); 7. North Carolina State 873 (293-290-290); 8. Washington 875 (297-289-289); 9. Mississippi 880 (291-287-302); 10. East Tennessee State 882 (295-295-292); 11. (tie) NOTRE DAME 889 (299-293-297) and Virginia Tech 889 (298-286-305); 13. Tennessee 895 (293-300-302); 14. Georgia Southern 896 (296-300-300); 15. LSU 908 (301-301-306).
TOP SIX INDIVIDUALS PLUS NOTRE DAME GOLFERS (of 83): 1. Scott Brown (South Carolina-Aiken) 207 (70-69-68); 2. Dustin Johnson (Coastal Carolina) 208 (69-70-69); 3. (tie) Joachim Fourquet (Coastal Carolina) 213 (71-69-73), Erik Flores (UCLA) 213 (72-69-72) and Stephen Lewton (North Carolina State) 213 (75-69-69); 6. Daniel Im (UCLA) 214 (72-71-71); 13. (tie) Cole Isban (Notre Dame) 216 (74-67-75); 25. (tie) Josh Sandman (Notre Dame) 219 (74-71-74); 67. (tie) Scott Gustafson (Notre Dame) 228 (78-78-72) and Mark Baldwin (Notre Dame) 228 (73-77-78); 71. Mike King (Notre Dame) 232 (78-78-76).