March 23, 2008
TUCSON, Ariz. — Junior Josh Sandman (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) fired a one-under par 71 on Sunday, leading Notre Dame into a tie for ninth place after the first round of the National Invitational Tournament at the Omni Tucson National Golf Club (par 72/7,330 yards) in Tucson, Ariz. The Irish carded an opening-round 296 (+8) and are tied with Tulsa, 21 shots behind overnight leader TCU in the 15-team event.
Sandman, who has finished in the top 10 of his last two tournaments, continued his hot play on Sunday with five birdies to position himself three strokes back off the individual lead that is currently shared by four players.
Freshman Dustin Zhang (Calgary, Alberta/Bishop Carroll) made the most of his debut with the Notre Dame travel squad, shooting a two-over par 74 on Sunday and moving into a tie for 34th place. Zhang’s round was highlighted by an eagle, one of only three carded by the 81-man field on Sunday.
Sophomore Doug Fortner (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) had a consistent first round with 14 pars on the way to a three-over par 75 and tie for 45th place. Sophomore Carl Santos-Ocampo (Naples, Fla./Community School of Naples) is one shot behind his classmate in a 56th-place tie at four-over par 76, while senior tri-captain Eddie Peckels (Pinehurst, N.C./Pope John Paul II (Fla.)) is another stroke behind in a tie for 63rd place at five-over par 77.
Notre Dame has drawn the early start time on Monday, 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 second 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, 2008 • Tucson, Ariz.
Omni Tucson National Golf Club (par 72/7,330 yards)
TEAM SCORES (18-hole totals): 1. TCU 275; 2. (tie) New Mexico and UNLV 286; 4. Kent State 287; 5. Arizona State 290; 6. Pepperdine 291; 7. Virginia 292; 8. Arizona 294; 9. (tie) NOTRE DAME 296 and Tulsa 296; 11. Arizona “B” 298; 12. (tie) Iowa, Houston and Sam Houston State 299; 15. UTEP 311.
TOP SIX INDIVIDUALS PLUS NOTRE DAME GOLFERS (of 81): 1. (tie) Robby Ormand (TCU), Jordan Woolf (TCU), Eddie Olson (UNLV) and Steve Saunders (UNM) 68; 5. (tie) Franklin Corpening (TCU) and Nicolas Geyger (UT) 69; 11. (tie) Josh Sandman (ND) 71; 34. (tie) Dustin Zhang (ND) 74; 45. (tie) Doug Fortner (ND) 75; 56. (tie) Carl Santos-Ocampo (ND) 76; 63. (tie) Eddie Peckels (ND) 77.