Sept. 12, 2016
By Dan Colleran
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Behind strong play from seniors Blake Barens and Matthew Rushton, the Notre Dame men’s golf team is in third place through two rounds of play at the USF Olympic Invitational, hosted by the University of San Francisco at the Olympic Club Golf Course (Par-71, 6,934 Yards).
As a team, the Fighting Irish finished the day at eight-over par (286-292-578) and will enter Tuesday’s final round 10 shots behind first-place BYU and three shots behind second-place St. Mary’s.
Players of the Day
Barens and Rushton each carded back-to-back 70’s on the day to find themselves tied for second through 36 holes of play.
In the second round, Barens had five birdies and four bogeys to go along with nine pars. His first round included an eagle on the par-four seventh when he holed his pitch shot from 40-yards out. Rushton’s second round also included five birdies, four bogeys and nine pars.
Notre Dame’s Lineup
T2 — Blake Barens (70-70-140)
T2 — Matthew Rushton (70-70-140)
T36 — Hunter Ostrom (74-74-148)
T41 — Ben Albin (72-78-150)
T62 — John Felitto (74-82-156)
In The Stats
As a team, the Irish have played the par 5’s at a three-under par clip, which is tied for first in the 14-team field. Rushton’s nine birdies are the third most in the field, while Barens was one of four golfers to turn in an eagle in the first two rounds of play.
The Course
The Olympic Club is a favorite for collegiate and professional events, having hosted 10 USGA events including the U.S. Open in 1955, 1966, 1987, 1998 and 2012. At the 1966 Open, former Notre Dame student Billy Casper, won the major. This marks the first time the Olympic Club has hosted the USF Olympic Invitational since 1991.
— ND —
Dan Colleran, associate athletics communications director at the University of Notre Dame, has been a part of Fighting Irish Media since August 2015 and coordinates all media and publicity efforts surrounding the Notre Dame hockey and golf programs. A native of Walpole, Massachusetts, Colleran spent the previous three years working with the men’s hockey and soccer programs at Providence College. Colleran also spent two years as an Assistant Executive Director of Communications & Championships at the Ivy League and is a graduate of Providence College (’06 & ’08G).