NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Year three under Notre Dame men’s golf head coach John Handrigan gets underway this weekend when the Fighting Irish travel to the Badger Invitational. The three-round tournament takes place Sept. 8-10 at the University Ridge Golf Course — a 7,294-yard, par 72.
Each round will tee off at 9 a.m. CT each day. Admission and parking is free, but if fans can’t make the tournament, live scoring will be available on Birdiefire.com.
Senior returners for the Irish include John Felitto, Davis Lamb and Hunter Ostrom. This year’s juniors include Davis Chatfield and Alex Jamieson, while the sophomore class consists of Taichi Kho and Andrew O’Leary.
Last fall, Chatfield posted an impressive 71.07 stroke average, while Ostrom took home the Northern Intercollegiate individual trophy. Overall on the year, both Felitto and Lamb finished with a sub-73 stroke average, averaging 72.57 and 72.97, respectively.
Both freshmen on this year’s squad hail from the state of Pennsylvania, as Patrick Kelly and Palmer Jackson both look to make an immediate impact.
HOT IRISH SUMMER
No returner had a better summer than Hunter Ostrom. The senior claimed four championships, which included the Southwestern Amateur, the Eastern Amateur, a U.S. Amateur qualifier and the McCall Amateur Invitational.
Davis Chatfield won a U.S. Amateur qualifier, Andrew O’Leary claimed the top spot at the Rhode Island Amateur and Davis Lamb took medalist honors at the 98th Maryland Open.
Then there was freshman Palmer Jackson, who won the AJGA Ohio State, the CR Miller Match Play, a U.S. Junior Qualifier, a PGA Junior Qualifier and the Sunnehanna Amateur Qualifier.
Most notably, Jackson had a historic run at the U.S. Amateur in Pinehurst, tying Tom Veech’s run to the quarterfinals back in 1950. Jackson defeated Auburn grad Jacob Solomon, one-up, before knocking off Stanford national champion and 2018 U.S. Amateur semifinalist Isaiah Salinda, two-up.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS
The Irish will go up against the likes of Abilene Christian, Coastal Carolina, Iowa State, Illinois State, Kansas, Nevada, Miami, Northern Illinois, Rutgers, Ole Miss, South Dakota State, UNCG, Xavier, Wisconsin and Wofford.
The entire Irish roster will be competing in the opening tournament. However, representing Notre Dame in the official team lineup will be Davis Chatfield, Palmer Jackson, Hunter Ostrom, Andrew O’Leary and Davis Lamb.
— ND —