April 5, 2008
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Senior tri-captain Eddie Peckels (Pinehurst, N.C./Pope John Paul II (Fla.)) collected a piece of his first career individual title, and junior Josh Sandman (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) continued his recent hot streak with a fourth consecutive top-10 finish, leading the Notre Dame men’s golf team to a runner-up finish at the Irish Invitational, which took place Saturday at the Warren Golf Course (par 70/6,930 yards) on the Notre Dame campus. The Irish carded a two-round total of 10-over par 570 (282-288) to wind up two strokes back of tournament champion Northwestern in the nine-team field.
Playing as an individual participant, Peckels picked the perfect time for the best round of his career, firing a 68 (-2) in the afternoon session to finish at one-under par 139 (71-68) for the tournament and share medalist honors with Northwestern’s David Lipsky. Peckels’ previous best round was a 69 that he carded twice before (most recently in the second round at the 2006 CordeValle Collegiate). His best tournament finish prior to Saturday came at the 2004 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational, when he tied for seventh place.
Meanwhile, Sandman tied for fourth place at the Irish Invitational with a one-over par 141 (68-73), marking the second time during his four-tourney run that he has placed in the top five at an event. Sandman also becomes the first Notre Dame golfer to put together four consecutive top-10 finishes since the 1979-80 season, when John Lundgren turned the trick in the Indianapolis Intercollegiate (tie-6th), Ohio State Invitational (9th), Purdue Invitational (tie-3rd) and Mid-American Invitational (5th).
Freshman Dustin Zhang (Calgary, Alberta/Bishop Carroll) tied Sandman for fourth place at one-over par 141 (71-70), posting the best score and finish of his young career. Classmate Tyler Hock (Ocala, Fla./Forest), who also played as an individual, tied for seventh place at two-over par 142 (70-72), also earning his best career finish. Sophomore Carl Santos-Ocampo (Naples, Fla./Community School of Naples) and freshman Connor Alan-Lee (Solana Beach, Calif./La Jolla Country Day School) rounded out a pack of six Irish golfers in the top 10, tying for 10th place at three-over par 143. Santos-Ocampo shot a career-low 68 in the opening round before slipping to a 75 in the afternoon, while Alan-Lee carded rounds of 69 (also a career-best) and 74 on the day.
Three more Notre Dame golfers tied for 20th place at six-over par 146. Sophomore Doug Fortner (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) fired rounds of 75 and 71, while senior tri-captain Greg Rodgers (Phoenix, Md./St. Paul’s School) shot matching scores of 73, and freshman Jeff Chen (Walnut, Calif./Los Altos) posted a 72 and 74. Rodgers and Chen were playing as individual participants on Saturday.
Sophomore Olavo Batista (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Chapel) was another individual competitor, tying for 31st place at nine-over par 149 (75-74), while senior tri-captain Mike King (Sidney, Ohio/Sidney) tied for 35th place at 11-over par 151 (77-74). Sophomore Kyle Willis (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest), who also played individually, ended up in a 39th-place tie at 12-over par 152 (80-72).
Notre Dame now will turn its attention to the 2008 BIG EAST Conference Championship, which will be hosted by the University of Cincinnati April 20-22 at the Traditions Golf Club in Hebron, Ky.
— ND —
Irish Invitational
April 5, 2008 — Notre Dame, Ind.
Warren Golf Course (par 70/6,930 yards)
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (36-hole totals): 1. Northwestern 578 (288-280); 2. NOTRE DAME 580 (282-288); 3. Cleveland State 583 (294-289); 4. George Washington 586 (290-296); 5. Columbia 587 (296-291); 6. Youngstown State 589 (294-295); 7. Pennsylvania 601 (303-298); 8. IPFW 612 (316-296); 9. Bucknell 618 (309-309).
TOP SIX INDIVIDUALS PLUS NOTRE DAME FINISHERS (of 59): 1. (tie) *Eddie Peckels (ND) 139 (71-68) and David Lipsky (NU) 139 (68-71); 3. *Cole Turner (GW) 140 (70-70); 4. (tie) Josh Sandman (ND) 141 (68-73), Dustin Zhang (ND) 141 (71-70) and Austin Quinten (CU) 141 (71-70); 7. (tie) * Tyler Hock (ND) 142 (70-72); 10. (tie) Carl Santos-Ocampo (ND) 143 (68-75) and *Connor Alan-Lee (ND) 143 (69-74); 20. (tie) Doug Fortner (ND) 146 (75-71), *Greg Rodgers (ND) 146 (73-73) and *Jeff Chen (ND) 146 (72-74); 31. (tie) *Olavo Batista (ND) 149 (75-74); 35. (tie) Mike King (ND) 151 (77-74); 39. (tie) *Kyle Willis (ND) 152 (80-72).
* – indicates individual participant; scores did not count to team total