Dec. 16, 2004
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame men’s golf team announced Thursday that Josh Sandman (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford HS), has chosen to continue his career with the Irish, signing a National Letter of Intent to attend Notre Dame beginning in the fall of 2005. Sandman is the first player to commit to the Irish for the 2005-06 season.
A standout on the junior golf circuit, Sandman is ranked as the 32nd-best player in the graduating class of 2005, according to the latest Titleist/Golfweek rankings released earlier this week. The 6-foot-1 Sandman currently owns a national junior scoring average of 72.69 in 23 rounds and has four top-three finishes to his credit in the last calendar year. His best efforts include a tie for second place at the 2003-04 North Carolina State High School Championships, a tie for third place at the 2004 Golfweek Invitational and a third-place showing at the 2004 Carolina Golf Association Junior Championships. He also works regularly under the watchful eye of Greensboro-area instructor Kelly Phillips.
Sandman is the son of Michael and Dawn Sandman of Greensboro, and he has three brothers (ages 21, 19 and 13).
“Josh will have a very positive impact on our team immediately with his consistent play and his natural competitiveness,” Irish assistant coach Chris Whitten said. “He is one of the top players on the golf-rich East Coast, and he has had a great deal of success against the best junior players in the country. Josh will have no problem with the transition from junior golf to the college game because his scoring abilities are very mature. He also has tremendous character and is lucky to have a very supportive family. He will be a great addition to our program.”
Notre Dame will lose just two seniors from this year’s club, which looked sharp during the fall 2004 season, posting a 298.67 stroke average (currently third-best in school history). The Irish also will be seeking to make back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances for the first time since a run of seven consecutive NCAA berths from 1960-66.
As the reigning BIG EAST Conference champion, Notre Dame will open its spring 2005 season Feb. 28 at the Tulane Invitational in New Orleans. The Irish are scheduled to play host to three tournaments in the spring, including the BIG EAST Championship (April 23-24) and the NCAA Central Regional (May 19-21), with both events taking place at the on-campus Warren Golf Course. In addition, Notre Dame will serve as the host school for the Irish Invitational, which will be held March 7-8 in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., on the El Campeon Course at the Mission Inn Resort.
— ND —