April 24, 1999
RAVENNE, Ohio – The Notre Dame men’s golf team continued its late-season push for a spot among the Midwest District’s six-team contingent in the NCAA Tournament by positioning into a share of ninth place out of 19 teams at the Kent/Cobra Intercollegiate, heading into Sunday’s final round.
The Irish carded rounds of 294-288 Saturday at the par-70, 6,936-yard Windmill Lakes Golf Course for a 582 total, just one shot behind Ball State, four behind Miami (Ohio) and seven behind Ohio University. The first-place team and host Kent (282-288) stands just 12 shots ahead of the Irish heading into the final 18 holes.
Senior Willie Kent and surging junior co-captain Todd Vernon led the Irish on Saturday with matching rounds of 73-71, good for a share of 23rd in the 100-player field. Senior co-captain Brad Hardin added rounds of 73-74, followed by junior Jeff Connell (75-72) and freshman Steve Ratay (79-77).
Kent and Vernon are just five shots out of sixth place and nine behind individual leader Jamie Broce of Ball State (64-70), who holds a four-shot cushion on Xavier’s Steve Dixon.
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Kent 282-288/570 2. Purdue 283-289/572 3. Toledo 286-287/573 Illinois 284-289/573 5. Wisconsin 279-295/574 6. Ohio 289-286/575 7. Miami, Ohio 290-288/578 8. Ball State 286-295/581 9. Notre Dame 294-288/58210. Iowa 289-295/58411. Xavier 290-296/58612. Kentucky 296-292/58813. E. Michigan 297-292/58914. Marshall 295-296/59115. Marquette 302-296/59816. Bowling Green 298-302/60017. Wright State 298-304/602 N. Illinois 297-305/60219. Akron 302-301/603
TOP INDIVIDUALS (of 100)
1. Jamie Broce (BSU) 65-70/1352. Steve Dixon (XAV) 71-68/139 Matt Stutzman (IOWA) 68-71/139 C.J.Brock (WIS) 66-73/139 Jon Mills (KENT) 69-70/1396. Sam O'Dell (MAR) 71-70/141 Tee McCabe (MIA) 71-70/141
NOTRE DAME SCORES
23. Willie Kent 73-71/14423. Todd Vernon 73-71/14446. Brad Hardin 73-74/14746. Jeff Connell 75-72/14785 Steve Ratay 79-77/156