March 30, 2003
Lexington, Ky. – The Notre Dame men’s golf team shot a final round 318 at the Johnny Owens Invitational to finish the 54-hole tournament with a 933 total (313-302-318) to finish 11th in the 15-team field. Three shots separated five teams between seventh and 11th in the final standings. Vanderbilt won the 18th annual tournament by three strokes over Indiana by three strokes on the par 72, 6,992-yard Big Blue Course at the University Club of Kentucky.
Individually, the Irish were led by freshman Scott Gustafson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) who turned in the best finish of his career by tying for sixth in the 81-player field. Gustafson, who was tied for second after 36 holes, shot a closing round 79 to give him a nine-over par 225 (74-72-79). Gustafson’s total put him five strokes behind Indiana’s Heath Peters who won the tournament with a four-over par 220 (70-75-75).
Vanderbilt won the tournament with a 39-over par 903 (298-299-306) to edge Indiana by three strokes as the Hoosiers fired a 906 (298-302-306) for the tournament. The host school, Kentucky, finished third with a 910 (301-298-311) total with Eastern Kentucky (920) and Arkansas-Little Rock (923) rounding out the top five.
Peters took medalist honors by two strokes over Louisville’s Brett Jones and teammate Jeff Overton as both golfers turned in 222 totals. Jones shot a final round 71 to jump from 20th after shooting 75-76 on Saturday. Overton shot a 75 on Sunday to move up from a fourth-place tie after shooting 72-75 for the first 36 holes.
Xavier’s Miles Maillet (75-78-71) and Brandon Waldrop of Kentucky (73-73-78) were two strokes back at 224 to finish one stroke ahead of Gustafson and Patrick Wilkes-Keier of Ball State who tied for sixth with a 225 total.
For the Irish, freshman Mark Baldwin (Laconia, N.H.) followed Gustafson by tying for 35th with a 235 (79-77-79). He was followed by Brandon Lunke (Sr., San Antonio, Texas) who tied for 50th with a 238 (78-75-85) and Bill McCaughan (Jr. Key Biscayne, Fla.) who tied for 55th after a 239 (82-80-77). Eric Deutsch (Fr., Rochester, Minn.) closed out the Irish contingent with a tie for 67th after shooting rounds of 82, 78 and 83 for a 54-hole total of 243.
Notre Dame returns to action next Friday, April 4th when the Irish travel to Laredo, Texas to play in the Border Olympics at the Laredo Country Club. The tournament will play 36 holes on Friday followed by 18 on Saturday. Rounds both days will begin at 8:00 a.m.
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (54-hole totals): 1. Vanderbilt 298-299-306-903; 2. Indiana 298-302-306-906; 3. Kentucky 301-298-311-610; 4. Eastern Kentucky 313-296-311-920; 5. Arkansas-Little Rock 302-307-314-923; 6. Xavier 309-311-304-924; t7.Miami (OH) 309-298-323-930; Louisville 315-306-309-930; t9. Western Kentucky 310-304-318-932; Ball State 313-304-315-932; 11. Notre Dame 313-302-318-933; 12. Michigan 318-308-308-934; 13. Ohio University 312-307-322-941; 14. Marshall 317-318-317-952; 15. Morehead State 320-318-323-961.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 81): 1. Heath Peters (Indiana) 70-75-75-220; t2. Jeff Overton (Indiana) 72-75-75-222; Brett Jones (Louisville) 75-76-71-222; t4. Miles Maillet (Xavier) 75-78-71-224; Brandon Waldorp (Kentucky) 73-73-78-224; t6. Scott Gustafson (Notre Dame) 74-72-79-225; Patrick Wilkes-Keier (Ball State) 76-73-76-225; t8. Brandon Brown (Eastern Kentucky) 79-71-76-226; Ken Lewis (Vanderbilt) 73-77-76; Ryan Coyne (Kentucky) 74-74-78-226).
NOTRE DAME PLAYERS (of 81): t6. Scott Gustafson 74-72-79-225; t35. Mark Baldwin 79-77-79-235; t50. Brandon Lunke 78-75-85-238; t55. Bill McCaughan 82-80-77-239; t67. Eric Deutsch 82-78-83-243.