April 17, 2005
BRYAN, Texas – Despite trailing the rest of the field heading into Sunday’s play at the Aggie Invitational, the Notre Dame men’s golf team turned in one of the top rounds on the final day of action. The Fighting Irish fired a nine-over par 297 at the par 72, 7,235-yard Traditions Golf Club to finish with a 54-hole total of 919 (318-304-297) and in 14th-place. Fighting Irish junior Cole Isban (South Bend, Ind./Marian) began the day in a tie for 26th yet climbed all the way up to 17th after carding an even par 72 on the day and a 221 (77-72-72) for the tournament.
Oklahoma State took home the team title with a three round total of 870 (+6) and Oklahoma’s Anthony Kim and New Mexico’s Spencer Levin shared medalist honors with six-under par 210s. Ten of the 14 teams in the field are either ranked in the top-25 of the latest GCAA Coaches’ Poll or are receiving votes including the Irish, who garnered three votes. Oklahoma State is No. 1, while New Mexico joins the Cowboys in the top-five at No. 5.
Notre Dame’s Mark Baldwin (Laconia, N.H./New Hampton Prep), a junior, finished tied for 36th after firing rounds of 78, 75 and 75 for a 12-over par 228 total. Baldwin’s classmate Scott Gustafson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) turned in his best round of the event with a one-over par 73 on Sunday and finished with a 231 (82-76-73), which was good for a tie at 51st. Fellow junior Eric Deutsch (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes) tallied a 78 on the day to go with rounds of 81 and 82 fired on Saturday to conclude with a 241 and in 69th-place.
Freshman Greg Rodgers (Phoenix, Md./St. Paul’s School) also recorded his best round of the invitational on Sunday with a five-over par 77 to finish with a 247 (89-81-77) and in a tie for 72nd. Shane Sigsbee (McKinney, Texas/McKinney), a sophomore, rounded out the field for the Irish with a 261 (91-77-93) to place 74th. The tournament format has each team counting the low four scores out of the six golfers who played for each round.
The Irish will next play host to the BIG EAST Championship at the Warren Golf Course on Saturday April 23 and Sunday April 24. Continue to follow Notre Dame’s 2004-05 campaign by logging on to und.com or call the Notre Dame athletics hotline at (574) 631-3000.
Aggie Invitational (Traditions Golf Club – Bryan, Texas Par 72, 7,235-yards)
TEAM RESULTS (54-hole totals):
1. Oklahoma State 870 (290-290-290), 2. New Mexico 872 (286-294-292), 3. Texas Tech 882 (294-291-297), 4. Oklahoma 889 (296-299-294), 5. SMU 891 (293-289-309), 6. Texas 892 (300-291-301), 7. Baylor 894 (303-294-297), 8. Kent State 899 (296-301-302), 9. Michigan State 901 (294-300-307), 10. Texas A&M 902 (302-294-306), 11. Northwestern 905 (305-292-308), 12. Ohio State 906 (294-305-307), 13. Texas A&M (B) 909 (294-307-308), 14. Notre Dame 919 (318-304-297).
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (top five of 75 plus Notre Dame Individuals):
1t. Anthony Kim (Oklahoma) 210 (72-69-69), 1t. Spencer Levin (New Mexico) 210 (67-69-74), 3t. Charlie Beljan (New Mexico) 213 (71-71-71), 3t. Jeff Bell (Texas) 213 (72-68-73), 3t. Tyler Leon (Oklahoma State) 213 (69-72-72), 17. Cole Isban (ND) 221 (77-72-72), 36t. Mark Baldwin (ND) 228 (78-75-75), 51t. Scott Gustafson (ND) 231 (82-76-73), 69. Eric Deutsch (ND) 241 (81-82-78), 72t. Greg Rodgers (ND) 247 (89-81-77), 74. Shane Sigsbee (ND) 261 (91-77-93).
— ND –