March 24, 2008
TUCSON, Ariz. — Junior Josh Sandman (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) has positioned himself for a third consecutive top-10 finish, moving into a tie for ninth place after Monday’s second round at the National Invitational Tournament at the Omni Tucson National Golf Club (par 72/7,330 yards) in Tucson, Ariz. As a team, Notre Dame held steady in ninth place with a 36-hole total of 11-over par 587 (296-291) and 22 shots behind tournament leader TCU in the 15-team field.
Sandman carded his second consecutive round of one-under par 71, with his two-round score of 142 (-2) putting him five strokes off the individual lead shared by Tulsa’s Nicolas Geyger and TCU’s Franklin Corpening.
Freshman Dustin Zhang (Calgary, Alberta/Bishop Carroll) continues to look sharp in his first time out with the Notre Dame travel squad. The Irish rookie rose into a tie for 22nd place at two-over par 146 (74-72) in the 81-man field, and has been especially strong on the par-5 holes this week, playing the longest layouts in a tournament-best five-under par thus far.
Sophomore Doug Fortner (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) is tied for 44th place at five-over par 149 (75-74), one shot better than his classmate Carl Santos-Ocampo (Naples, Fla./Community School of Naples), who is tied for 50th place (76-74=150). Senior tri-captain Eddie Peckels (Pinehurst, N.C./Pope John Paul II (Fla.)) rounds out the Irish lineup in a 58th-place tie at eight-over par 152 (77-75).
Notre Dame once again will tee off early on Tuesday, going out at 7:30 a.m. PT (10:30 a.m. ET in South Bend) in nine-minute intervals from the first tee in the final round of the National Invitational Tournament. Live in-progress scoring is available on the Golfstat web site (www.golfstat.com) and full results will be posted on the official Notre Dame athletics web site (www.UND.com) at the conclusion of the day’s competition, as well as on the Notre Dame Sports Hotline (574-631-3000).
— ND —
National Invitational Tournament
March 23-24, 2008 • Tucson, Ariz.
Omni Tucson National Golf Club (par 72/7,330 yards)
TEAM SCORES (36-hole totals): 1. TCU 565 (275-290); 2. (tie) New Mexico and UNLV 576 (286-290); 4. Kent State 578 (287-291); 5. Arizona State 583 (290-293); 6. (tie) Arizona 584 (294-290) and Pepperdine 584 (291-293); 8. Sam Houston State 585 (299-286); 9. NOTRE DAME 587 (296-291); 10. (tie) Houston 588 (299-289) and Arizona “B” 588 (298-290); 12. Tulsa 594 (296-298); 13. (tie) Virginia 595 (292-303) and Iowa 595 (299-296); 15. UTEP 616 (311-305).
TOP FOUR INDIVIDUALS PLUS NOTRE DAME GOLFERS (of 81): 1. (tie) Nicolas Geyger (Tulsa) and Franklin Corpening (TCU) 137 (69-68); 3. Ben Moser (UH) 139 (71-68); 4. Brandon Putnam (UNM) 140 (71-69); 9. (tie) Josh Sandman (ND) 142 (71-71); 22. (tie) Dustin Zhang (ND) 146 (74-72); 44. (tie) Doug Fortner (ND) 149 (75-74); 50. (tie) Carl Santos-Ocampo (ND) 150 (76-74); 58. (tie) Eddie Peckels (ND) 152 (77-75).