Sept. 16, 2002

Toledo, Ohio – The Notre Dame men’s golf team opened a new season on Monday shooting two rounds of 305 for a 36-hole total of 610. The Irish will go into Tuesday’s final round of play in 11th place among 15 teams at the Inverness Intercollegiate Invitational hosted by the University of Toledo.

Notre Dame trails tournament leader Michigan State University by 20 strokes, as the Spartans shot a 590 (291-299), with two golfers among the tournament’s top 10 players.

Michigan State will go into tomorrow’s final round of play with a one-stroke lead over the University of Florida and Fresno State University, after the Gators (288-303) and Bulldogs (291-300) turned in 36-hole totals of 591. The University of Georgia is in fourth place after two rounds with a 594 (300-294) and Kent State University rounds out the top five with 597 after shooting rounds of 302 and 295.

Fresno State’s Nick Watney is in first place heading into Tuesday’s final round of play after shooting rounds of 71 and 70 for a 141. Watney has a two-stroke lead over Alex Noren of Oklahoma State University who shot a 36-hole total of 143 (74-69). Two golfers are tied in third place with 144, Florida’s Camilo Villegas (71-73) and Georgia’s Kevin Kisner (75-69). Six golfers are tied for fifth, five strokes off the lead with 146, including Notre Dame’s Eric Deutsch (Rochester, Minn.). Deutsch, a freshman playing in his first career collegiate tournament, shot a pair of 73’s on Monday.

The rest of the Irish did not fair as well in the first 36 holes. After Deutsch, fellow freshman Scott Gustafson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and sophomore K.C. Wiseman (South Bend, Ind.) are tied for 45th place. Gustafson shot rounds of 74 and 80 for a 36-hole total of 154 and Wiseman shot a 154 with rounds of 78 and 76. Fourth among Irish golfers is junior Bill McCaughan (Key Biscayne, Fla.) who fired rounds of 80 and 76 for a 156, placing him tied in 55th place. Freshman Tommy Balderston (Boca Raton, Fla.) finished with a two-round total of 165 (82-83).

Tuesday’s final round of play is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. (EST).

TEAM RESULTS (36 holes): 1. Michigan State 291-299-590; t2. Florida 288-303-591; Fresno State 291-300-591; 4. Georgia 300-294-594; 5. Kent State 302-295-597; t6. Kansas State 304-294-598; Toledo 297-301-598; 8. Oklahoma State 306-294-600; 9. Northwestern 306-300-606; 10. Illinois 307-302-609; 11. Notre Dame 305-305-610; t12. Kansas 304-307-611; Long Beach State 309-302-611; 14. Kentucky 312-304-616; 15. Alabama-Birmingham 314-311-625.

TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 75): 1. Nick Watney (Fresno State) 71-70-141; 2. Alex Noren (Oklahoma State) 74-69-143; t3. Camilo Villegas (Florida) 71-73-144; Kevin Kisner (Georgia) 75-69-144; t5. David Jones (Toledo) 74-72-146; Eric Jorgensen (Michigan State) 73-73-146; Casey Lubahn (Michigan State) 71-75-146; Eric Deutsch (Notre Dame) 73-73-146; Tom Johnson (Northwestern) 76-70-146; Joe Hurtuk (Kent State) 77-69-146.

NOTRE DAME PLAYERS (of 75): t5. Eric Deutsch 73-73-146; t45. Scott Gustafson 74-80-154: t45. K.C. Wiseman 78-76-154; t55. Bill McCaughan 80-76-156; 74. Tommy Balderston 82-83-165.

— ND —