Sept. 23, 2001

Yorktown, Ind. – The Notre Dame men’s golf team turned in a final round total of 303 on Sunday afternoon to finish 19th at the Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational with a 54-hole total of 908 (300-305-303). The Irish finished 61 strokes behind the University of Louisville as the Cardinals led from start to finish with a 17-under par total of 847 (276-272-299) on the par 72, 6,911 Players’ Club course.

Louisville won the tournament by nine strokes over Western Kentucky as the Hilltoppers had rounds of 280, 278 and 298 for an eight-under par total of 856. Butler University finished third with an 862 total (287-275-300) and was followed by Akron in fourth (863-283-285-295) and Eastern Kentucky rounded out the top five with a 54-hole total of 865 after rounds of 279, 291 and 295.

Notre Dame’s top finisher was senior Chris Whitten (Rockford, Mich.) who put together the best 54-hole total of his career with a six-over par total of 222 to finish in a tie for 42nd. Whitten opened with a 74 and then turned in his best single round when he shot an even-par 72 during the second round on Saturday. He closed out the weekend with a 76 on Sunday for his 222 total.

Whitten finished 14 strokes behind tournament medalist, Brad Morris of Eastern Kentucky who fired an eight-under par total of 208 (65-70-73). Morris opened the Invitational with the best round of the weekend when he opened with a seven-under par 65 on Saturday. He held off Western Kentucky’s Brandon Waldrop by one stroke as Waldrop shot a 209 on rounds of 68, 69 and 72.

Five others finished within four strokes of the lead. Akron’s Chris Jamieson (67-70-74) and Western Kentucky’s Jared Topmiller (70-68-73) tied for third with 211 totals. One stroke behind them in a tie for fifth place were Ball State’s Dan Witt (69-68-75) and Louisville’s Grant Sturgeon (70-68-75) and Brett Jones (69-66-77) who finished with four-under par totals of 212.

Following Whitten for the Irish was senior Steve Ratay (Sr., Arlington Heights, Ill.) who tied for 71st with a 10-over par 226. Ratay had followed rounds of 76 and 77 with a one-over par 73 on Sunday. Freshman Steve Colnitis (Baldwin, Md.) tied for 82nd in his first collegiate tournament with a 54-hole mark of 230 (74-78-78). Sophomore Gavin Ferlic (South Bend, Ind.) tied for 92nd after rounds of 76, 78 and 79 for a 233 total and K.C. Wiseman (South Bend, Ind.) was Notre Dame’s fifth player who tied for 94th after shooting a 234 (79-79-76) in his first collegiate tournament.

Notre Dame returns to action next Friday, Sept. 28th when the Irish compete in the 54-hole Michigan Wolverine Invitational in Ann Arbor, Mich.

FINAL TEAM RESULTS (54-hole totals): 1. Louisville 276-272-299-847, 2. Western Kentucky 280-278-298-856, 3. Butler 287-275-300-862, 4. Akron 283-285-295-863, 5. Eastern Kentucky 279-291-295-865, 6. Ball State 285-282-301-868, 7. Wright State 289-287-296-872, 8. Xavier 289-293-292-874, 9. Iowa 292-288-296-876, 10. Detroit Mercy 290-289-302-881, tie 11. Bowling Green 284-295-307-886, Cincinnati 293-290-303-886, tie 13. Youngstown State 288-299-303-890, IU-Purdue-Indy 292-289-309-890, 15. Eastern Michigan 292-289-310-891, 16. Ohio University 294-293-308-895, 17. Northern Illinois 301-294-305-900, 18. Cleveland State 291-297-317-905, 19. Notre Dame 300-305-303-908.

TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 104): 1. Brad Morris (Eastern Kentucky) 65-70-73-208, 2. Brandon Waldrop (Western Kentucky) 68-69-72-209, T3. Chris Jamieson (Akron) 67-70-74-211, Jared Topmiller (Western Kentucky) 70-68-73-211, T5. Grant Sturgeon (Louisville) 70-68-74-212, Brett Jones (Louisville) 69-66-77-212, Dan Witt (Ball State) 69-68-137, 8. Mark Anderson (Louisville) 68-67-78-213, Neil Lykins (Cincinnati) 73-71-69-213, Mitch Foss (Butler) 69-68-76-213.

NOTRE DAME SCORES: t42. Chris Whitten 74-72-76-222, t71. Steve Ratay 76-77-73-226, t82. Steve Colnitis 74-78-78-230, t92. Gavin Ferlic 76-78-79-233, t94. K.C. Wiseman 79-79-76-234.