April 28, 2002
East Lansing, Mich. – The Notre Dame men’s golf team closed the 2001-02 season with a final round of 306 to finish tied for 12th with Ohio State at Michigan State’s Bruce Fossum-Spartan Invitational. For the tournament, the Irish shot a 54-hole total of 921 (307-308-306) to finish 45 strokes off the pace set by the University of Toledo who took team honors with a 12-over par total of 876 (286-295-295).
The win for Toledo should cement their number one ranking in District Four for the upcoming NCAA tournament. The Rockets went into Sunday’s final round with a 10-stroke lead and held off the University of Illinois, winning by nine strokes. The Illini shot an 885 (293-298-294) total for the weekend to finish five strokes ahead of Michigan State as the Spartans shot an 890 (309-289-292) for the 54 holes on the par 72, 7,003-yard Forest Akers West Course. Minnesota (298-301-297) finished fourth with an 896 while Northwestern (302-302-302-) and Kent State (296-304-306) tied for fifth with 906 totals.
Individually, the University of Toledo’s David Jones, who started the day two strokes out of the lead, shot a three-under par 69 for the final 18 holes to win the tournament with an even-par 216 (73-74-69). One stroke back in second with a 217 (72-73-72) was Illinois’ Garrett Chaussard. Second-round leader John Koskinen of Michigan State was third with a 218 (73-67-73) and Spartan Eric Jorgenson (73-74-72) and Minnesota’s Matt Anderson (74-72-73) tied for fourth with three-over par 219’s.
For the first time this spring, someone other than senior Steve Ratay (Arlington Heights, Ill.), finished first for the Irish. Freshman Ryan Marshall (Marco Island, Fla.) was Notre Dame’s top finisher as he turned in his second top 20 finish in as many weeks as his final round 73 moved him into a tie for 15th with an eight-over par 224. Marshall opened the tournament with rounds of 75 and 76 on Saturday. A week ago, he finished sixth at the BIG EAST Championship.
Ratay closed his brilliant Notre Dame career in a tie for 36th with a 13-over par total of 229 following rounds of 76, 77 and 76. For the year, the academic All-American nominee turned in a 73.03 average in 32 rounds which is the best single-season average ever at Notre Dame surpassing Joe Grace’s 73.13 average set in 1955-56. For his career, Ratay finishes second on the career average chart with 74.46 average, just .03 off the record held by Charles Thurn (74.43). The two-time team captain also tied school records for tournaments played (38) and rounds played (105) during his four seasons with the Irish.
Following Ratay was freshman K.C. Wiseman (South Bend, Ind.) who tied for 59th with a 19-over par 235 (78-80-77). Junior Brandon Lunke (San Antonio, Texas) tied for 69th with a 54-hole total of 239 (84-75-80) and William McCaughan (So., Key Biscayne, Fla.) was 74th with a 244 mark following rounds of 78-84-82.
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (54 holes): 1. Toledo 286-295-295-876; 2. Illinois 293-298-294-885; 3. Michigan State 309-289-292-890; 4. Minnesota 298-301-297-896; t5. Kent State 296-304-306-906; Northwestern 302-302-302-906; t7. Texas-Arlington 298-307-304-609; Iowa 299-306-304-909; 9. Xavier 298-308-304-910; 10. Indiana 305-315-295-915; 11. Michigan 307-313-297-916; t12. Notre Dame 307-308-306-921; Ohio State 316-307-298-921; 14. Eastern Michigan 311-306-312-929; 15. Wisconsin 314-309-309-932.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 79): 1. David Jones (Toledo) 73-74-69-216; 2. Garrett Chaussard (Illinois) 72-73-72-217; 3. John Koskinen (Michigan State) 78-67-73-218; t4. Eric Jorgenson (Michigan State) 73-74-72-219; Matt Anderson (Minnesota) 74-72-73-219; t6. Luke Main (Texas-Arlington) 75-74-71-220; Sean McTernan (Toledo) 71-75-74-220; t8. Brad Heaven (Toledo) 69-76-76-221; Geoff Lound (Illinois) 74-74-73-221; Bjorn Widerstedt (Northwestern) 76-70-75-221.
NOTRE DAME PLAYERS (of 79): t15. Ryan Marshall 75-76-73-224; t36. Steve Ratay 76-77-76-229: t59. K.C. Wiseman 78-80-77-235; t69. Brandon Lunke 84-75-80-239; t74. William McCaughan 78-84-82-244.