Aug. 21, 2001
Atlanta, Ga. – Notre Dame senior golfer Steve Ratay (Arlington Heights, Ill.) opened the U.S. Amateur in Atlanta, Ga., on Monday by firing an even-par 72 at the Druid Hills Golf Club, but followed it with a nine-over total of 79 on the par 70 East Lake Golf Club on Tuesday to finish with a 151 total and missed the cut at the 101st U.S. Amateur.
The field of 310 was cut after 36 holes of stroke play to 64 and those golfers will begin match play on Wednesday morning. The cut came at two-over par 144.
Ratay qualified for the Amateur on July 30th at Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course with rounds of 69 and 72 for a 141 total.
Leading the 2001 U.S. Amateur is Chris Mundorf of Greensboro, S.C., who tied an Amateur record on Tuesday with a nine-under par 63 on the par 72 Druid Hills Golf Club. He opened the tourament with a 71 for a two-day total of 8-under par 134.
Mundorf is followed by Bob Godfrey of Clemson, S.C., who set the record on Monday for stroke play with a 63 at the East Lake Golf Club and Michael Sims of Bermuda who have 36 hole totals of 135. Godfrey shot 63-72 for his 7-under total while Sims had rounds of 69-66 for his 135.
Ratay is the first Notre Dame golfer to make it to the U.S. Amateur since Jeff Connell who graduated in 2000, made it to the 1998 tournament.
The Arlington Heights, Ill., native will return to Notre Dame for his final season with the Irish golf team. As a junior, he led the Irish with two first place finishes, taking co-medalist honors at the Wisconsin Invitational and the BIG EAST Championship in the spring.
Ratay’s single season average of 73.68 was the second best single season mark at Notre Dame, trailing only Joe Grace’s 73.13 average set in 1955-56. His career average of 75.09 is the seventh best average in the history of the Notre Dame golf program.
He was a third team Verizon Academic All-American last season as he has a 3.781 grade point average in Computer Science and has been a Dean’s List student in each of his first six semesters at Notre Dame.
The U.S. Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
U.S. Amateur Top 10
1. Chris Mundorf, USA 71-63-134 -8
2. Robert Godfrey, USA 63-72-135 -7
Michael Sims, Bermuda 69-66-135 -7
4. James Driscoll, USA 64-72-136 -6
Nick Whatney, USA 69-67-136 -6
Camilo Villeges, Columbia 68-68-136 -6
John Engler, USA 70-66-136 -6
8. Oliver Wilson, England 68-69-137 -5
Jerry DeCourville, USA 68-69-137 -5
D.J. Trahan, USA 69-68-137 -5