Junior Eric Deutsch posted his second consecutive top-20 finish with a 12th-place tie at the Notre Dame Invitational & Central Regional Preview.  The Rochester, Minn., native has a 73.83 stroke average through two events this year, besting his previous career average by nearly 2.5 strokes.

Kent State Leads After First Round Of Notre Dame Invitational & Central Regional Preview

Sept. 17, 2004

BRIDGMAN, Mich. – Kent State junior Ryan Yip carded a two-under par 68 and teammate Steve Lohmeyer added a one-under 69 as the Golden Flashes fired a 287 (+7) to take a seven-stroke lead after Friday’s first round of the Notre Dame Invitational & Central Regional Preview. The opening 18 holes were played 45 minutes from the Notre Dame campus in Bridgman, Mich., at the par-70, 6,875-yard Lost Dunes Golf Club.

Notre Dame is in fifth place after the first round, following a 19-over par 299. The Irish were one of only five squads in the 15-team field to shoot under 300 on a blustery and cool day on the shores of Lake Michigan. Joining Notre Dame and Kent State in the top five are Michigan State (294), Texas Tech (296) and Colorado (298). No. 24 Texas A&M is sixth at 303, while 25th-ranked SMU is in 15th place at 321, after a myriad of difficulties that included the disqualification of Colt Knost, the reigning Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, for hitting an incorrect ball.

Five Notre Dame players are among the top 19 in the tournament through the opening round. Sophomore Cole Isban (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) fired a two-over par 72 and is tied for fifth, while junior Eric Deutsch (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes) is one stroke back of Isban in eighth place. Juniors Tommy Balderston (Boca Raton, Fla./St. Andrews) and Mark Baldwin (Laconia, N.H./New Hampton Prep) are part of a five-way logjam for 14th place at four-over par 74 as they compete in the tournament as unaffiliated players. Another unattached Irish golfer, junior Daniel Klauer (Granger, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) is tied for 19th place at five-over par 75.

A pair of Notre Dame freshmen — Greg Rodgers (Phoenix, Md./St. Paul’s) and Mike King (Sidney, Ohio/Sidney) — are in a 37th-place tie at seven-over par 77. Meanwhile, sophomore Shane Sigsbee (McKinney, Texas/McKinney) completed his first round at nine-over 79. Irish senior co-captains K.C. Wiseman (South Bend, Ind./Riley) and Steve Colnitis (Baldwin, Md./St. Paul’s) also are competing as individuals — Wiseman is tied for 67th place with an 11-over par 81, while Colnitis is in a 75th-place deadlock at 12-over 82.

The second round of the Notre Dame Invitational & Central Regional Preview will take place Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. (EST/CDT) at the par-70, 7,011-yard Warren Golf Course on the Notre Dame campus. The first Irish golfers are scheduled to start from the No. 1 tee beginning at 8:40 a.m. (EST/CDT). Admission is free to the general public.

— ND —

           ND Invit.& Central Reg Preview         Lost Dunes Golf Club     Bridgman, MI       Dates: 09/17 - 09/19     (Today:09-17-2004)              Par:        70              Yardage:  6875
Fin. Top 20 Teams Scores 1 Kent State 287 2 Michigan State U. 294 3 Texas Tech Univ. 296 4 Colorado, U. of 298 5 Notre Dame, U. of 299 6 Texas A&M University 303 7 Indiana University 304 8 Arkansas, U. of 305 9 Xavier University 306 10 Northwestern 309 11 Iowa State Univ. 310 Missouri, U. of 310 13 Toledo, U. of 311 Tulsa, U. of 311 15 SMU 321
Fin. School Scores
1 Kent State 287 1 Ryan Yip 31- 37 68 T 2 Steve Lohmeyer 36- 33 69 T 8 Tommy Wiegand 37- 36 73 T 37 Marc Bourgeois 40- 37 77 T 46 Peter Laws 39- 39 78
2 Michigan State U. 294 T 2 Ryan Brehm 31- 38 69 T 8 Matt Harmon 35- 38 73 T 19 Andrew Ruthkoski 37- 38 75 T 37 Mitch Pierce 39- 38 77 T 61 Jimmy Chestnut 40- 40 80
3 Texas Tech Univ. 296 4 Oscar Floren 34- 37 71 T 8 Andrew Dresser 34- 39 73 T 8 Shaun Melville 35- 38 73 T 55 Santiago Rivas 36- 43 79 T 61 Nicolas Allain 41- 39 80
4 Colorado, U. of 298 T 5 Edward McGlasson 36- 36 72 T 14 Kenny Coakley 38- 36 74 T 26 Jim Grady 37- 39 76 T 26 Shea Sena 38- 38 76 T 75 Blake Moore 43- 39 82
5 Notre Dame, U. of 299 T 5 Cole Isban 33- 39 72 T 8 Eric Deutsch 39- 34 73 T 37 Greg Rodgers 38- 39 77 T 37 Mike King 40- 37 77 T 55 Shane Sigsbee 42- 37 79
6 Texas A&M University 303 T 8 Robert Gates, Jr. 35- 38 73 T 26 Andrew Parr 36- 40 76 T 26 Jerad Harklau 40- 36 76 T 46 Martin Piller 38- 40 78 T 67 Rand Arbuckle 41- 40 81
7 Indiana University 304 T 5 Heath Peters 34- 38 72 T 37 Scott Seibert 36- 41 77 T 37 Santiago Quirarte 39- 38 77 T 46 Jeff Overton 37- 41 78 T 67 Brad Marek 39- 42 81
8 Arkansas, U. of 305 T 19 Will Osborne 38- 37 75 T 26 Jason Turner 38- 38 76 T 26 Allen McFerran 35- 41 76 T 46 Scotty Campbell 37- 41 78 T 46 Matt Bortis 37- 41 78
9 Xavier University 306 T 19 Andy Connell 40- 35 75 T 26 Andy Pope 37- 39 76 T 37 Neal Grusczynski 38- 39 77 T 46 Jason Kokrak 38- 40 78 T 55 John Streibich 36- 43 79
10 Northwestern 309 T 19 Dan Doyle 36- 39 75 T 26 Dillon Dougherty 39- 37 76 T 37 Kyle Moore 37- 40 77 T 67 Chris Wilson 44- 37 81 T 78 David Merkow 42- 42 84
T 11 Iowa State Univ. 310 T 19 Chris Baker 37- 38 75 T 26 Drew Dalziel 35- 41 76 T 55 Paul Huddle 41- 38 79 T 61 Pat Hall 39- 41 80 T 61 Joe Cermak 39- 41 80
T 11 Missouri, U. of 310 T 14 John Kelly 36- 38 74 T 37 Ben Scott 37- 40 77 T 46 Chris Mabry 39- 39 78 T 67 Trent Twaddle 37- 44 81 T 78 Shawn Jasper 42- 42 84
T 13 Toledo, U. of 311 T 26 Tyler Riley 39- 37 76 T 46 Justin Bertsch 38- 40 78 T 46 Renaud Langevin 39- 39 78 T 55 Ciaran McLeavey 41- 38 79 T 67 Mike Trivisonno 39- 42 81
T 13 Tulsa, U. of 311 T 19 Tully Coyle 36- 39 75 T 26 Brett Myers 36- 40 76 T 61 Mitch Cohlmia 39- 41 80 T 61 Sam Korbe 38- 42 80 T 67 Ryan Henry 38- 43 81
15 SMU 321 T 14 Brandon DeStefano 37- 37 74 T 55 Will Dodson 38- 41 79 T 67 Scott Abbott 38- 43 81 80 Dan Kleckner 42- 45 87 DQ Colt Knost
Fin. Individuals School Scores
T 14 Tom Balderston Notre Dame 36- 38 74 T 14 Mark Baldwin Notre Dame 33- 41 74 T 19 Daniel Klauer Notre Dame 37- 38 75 T 67 K.C. Wiseman Notre Dame 36- 45 81 T 75 Steve Colnitis Notre Dame 39- 43 82 T 75 Trey Todd Texas A&M 41- 41 82