Oct. 30, 2007
GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Notre Dame men’s golf team wrapped up its fall season with a ninth-place finish at the UNCG Bridgestone Collegiate Championship, which concluded Tuesday at the Forest Oaks Country Club (par 72/7,197 yards) in Greensboro, N.C. The Irish carded a three-round total of 14-over par 878 (292-295-291) and wound up 18 shots behind tournament champion Louisville. Notre Dame did gain some postseason capital at the tournament, defeating No. 25 (Golfweek) Arkansas by 10 shots and finishing a single stroke behind 11th-ranked Wake Forest in the 15-team event.
Junior Josh Sandman (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) was in contention for medalist honors entering Tuesday’s final round, but an uncharacteristic 77 dropped him to a tie for 15th place at one-over par 217 (68-72-77). It marked just the third time in 13 rounds this fall that Sandman posted a score higher than 73, and only the second time his round didn’t count to the team score. Louisville’s Derek Fathauer was the tournament medalist at 10-under par 206, edging Kent State’s Brett Cairns by one shot.
Senior tri-captain Greg Rodgers (Phoenix, Md./St. Paul’s School) tied for 25th place at four-over par 220 (75-73-72), while sophomore Doug Fortner (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) took home a share of 29th place at five-over par 221 (74-74-73). Sophomore Kyle Willis (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) finished in a 48th-place tie at nine-over par 225 (75-76-74), while freshman Tyler Hock (Ocala, Fla./Forest) tied for 63rd place at 12-over par 228 (76-80-72). Hock’s final round was particularly unique, as he carded six birdies, but also endured a crippling quadruple bogey on the fifth hole and bogeys on each of his final two holes.
Notre Dame will return to action Feb. 17-19, when it opens the 2008 spring schedule in the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational, hosted by North Florida at the Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
— ND —
UNCG Bridgestone Collegiate Championship
Oct. 29-30, 2007 — Greensboro, N.C.
Forest Oaks Country Club (par 72/7,197 yards)
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (54-hole totals): 1. Louisville 860 (300-281-279); 2. Mississippi State 863 (300-286-277); 3. UCF 866 (294-293-279); 4. North Carolina 870 (294-286-290); 5. Kent State 873 (293-288-292); 6. (tie) Indiana 874 (298-291-285) and LSU 874 (302-288-284); 8. Wake Forest 877 (294-297-286); 9. NOTRE DAME 878 (292-295-291); 10. Memphis 881 (293-290-298); 11. College of Charleston 887 (292-299-296); 12. Arkansas 888 (304-288-296); 13. UNC Greensboro 890 (296-300-294); 14. Maryland 892 (308-296-288); 15. Toledo 904 (308-293-303).
TOP SIX INDIVIDUALS PLUS NOTRE DAME FINISHERS (of 79): 1. Derek Fathauer (UL) 206 (71-67-68); 2. Brett Cairns (KSU) 211 (72-68-71); 3. Greg Forest (UCF) 212 (75-71-66); 4. (tie) David Holzworth (UNC) 213 (73-69-71), Adam Hadwin (UL) 213 (79-65-69) and Barden Berry (UNC) 213 (72-70-71); 15. (tie) Josh Sandman (ND) 217 (68-72-77); 25. (tie) Greg Rodgers (ND) 220 (75-73-72); 29. (tie) Doug Fortner (ND) 221 (74-74-73); 48. (tie) Kyle Willis (ND) 225 (75-76-74); 63. (tie) Tyler Hock (ND) 228 (76-80-72).