Oct. 2, 2007
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Sophomore Doug Fortner (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) tied the third-lowest 54-hole score in school history with an even-par 210 (68-72-70) en route to a career-best tie for second place as the Fighting Irish Gridiron Golf Classic wrapped up on Tuesday afternoon at the Warren Golf Course (par 70/7,023 yards) on the Notre Dame campus. The Irish finished tied with San Diego for eighth place in the team standings with a three-round total of 42-over par 882 (289-295-298), while No. 25 Michigan State took home the team title at seven-over par 847 and MSU’s Ryan Brehm claimed medalist honors at five-under par 205.
Fortner’s previous best tournament score and finish came in last spring’s Triumph at Pauma Valley, when he tied for fourth place at one-under par 212. The Notre Dame 54-hole scoring record is 209, originally set by Jeff Connell at the 1998 Marshall Invitational and matched by Cole Isban at the 2007 Border Olympics in Laredo, Texas.
Junior Josh Sandman (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) turned in a solid effort, tying for 16th place at seven-over par 217 (71-73-73). Sophomore Kyle Willis (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) collected his second top-20 finish at the Fighting Irish Gridiron Golf Classic in as many years, ending up in a pack of seven players tied for 18th place at a career-low eight-over par 218 (71-74-73). Willis, who played this week’s tournament as an individual competitor, previously set his personal-low three-round score of 224 (+14) at last year’s Fighting Irish Gridiron Golf Classic.
Notre Dame won’t have much time to rest as it gets back on the course Sunday and Monday, Oct. 7-8 at the Coca-Cola Duke Golf Classic in Durham, N.C. Live in-progress scoring will be available via the Golfstat web site and complete results will be posted on the official Notre Dame athletics web site (www.und.com) upon completion of each day’s action. Fans also can obtain updates on the Irish via the Notre Dame Sports Hotline (574-631-3000) and the Irish ALERT text message system (click here for more details or to sign up).
— ND —
Fighting Irish Gridiron Golf Classic
Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2007 — Notre Dame, Ind.
Warren Golf Course (par 70/7,023 yards)
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (54-hole totals): 1. Michigan State 847 (285-274-288); 2. (tie) Lamar 861 (296-282-283) and Arkansas 861 (300-277-284); 4. Virginia 868 (293-295-280); 5. Baylor 870 (288-285-297); 6. North Florida 875 (294-286-295); 7. Colorado State 879 (301-287-291); 8. (tie) NOTRE DAME 882 (289-295-298) and San Diego 882 (307-298-277); 10. Iowa 886 (299-297-290); 11. College of Charleston 893 (307-298-288); 12. Georgetown 898 (307-300-291).
TOP FIVE INDIVIDUALS PLUS NOTRE DAME FINISHERS (of 75): 1. Ryan Brehm (MSU) 205 (72-64-69); 2. (tie) Doug Fortner (ND) 210 (68-72-70) and Greg Carlin (UVa) 210 (71-72-67); 4. (tie) Vincenzo Salina (GU) 211 (71-69-71) and Jack Newman (MSU) 211 (71-69-71); 16. (tie) Josh Sandman (ND) 217 (71-73-73); 18. (tie) Kyle Willis* (ND) 218 (71-74-73); 29. (tie) Tyler Hock* (ND) 220 (74-71-75); 36. (tie) Jeff Chen* (ND) 221 (74-75-72); 48. (tie) Connor Alan-Lee* (ND) 225 (79-75-71); 50. (tie) Greg Rodgers (ND) 226 (74-76-76); 52. (tie) Eddie Peckels (ND) 229 (76-74-79); 56. (tie) Mike King* (ND) 231 (80-75-76) and Olavo Batista* (ND) 231 (76-80-75); 68. Carl Santos-Ocampo (ND) 240 (81-79-80); 69. Dustin Zhang* (ND) 244 (80-83-81).
* – playing as individual competitor (scores do not count to team total)