Sept. 27, 2005
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Notre Dame men’s golf team fired a final-round 293 on Tuesday afternoon to finish sixth overall at the inaugural Shoal Creek Intercollegiate, which took place in Birmingham, Ala., at the legendary Shoal Creek Golf Club (par 72/7,114 yards). The Irish carded a 54-hole score of eight-over par 872 (291-288-293), matching the fifth-lowest mark in school history and best on a regulation course since logging an 863 at the 2003 Nelson Invitational (the 2004 Nelson took place on a par-69 course that was undergoing renovations).
In addition, Notre Dame placed ahead of two ranked opponents at the Shoal Creek Intercollegiate, besting No. 3 Florida by two shots (seventh place, 874) and No. 17 Alabama by a staggering 19 strokes (11th place, 891). The Irish nearly topped a third Top 25 foe, ending up just two shots behind 14th-ranked Georgia State (fifth place, 870). With the two wins over ranked opponents this week, Notre Dame now has bettered seven Top 25 teams since Jim Kubinski took over as head coach in January.
LSU won the team title by one stroke over 12th-ranked Tennessee, with the Tigers shooting a one-under 863. Host UAB (867) and East Tennessee State (869) edged out Georgia State and Notre Dame in the team standings.
Individually, Irish junior Cole Isban (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) finished in a three-way tie for first place, carding a career-best six-under par 210 (69-69-72), a mark that also ties for the second-lowest 54-hole score in school history (209 by Jeff Connell at the 1998 Marshall Invitational). Isban wound up bowing out on the first hole of a playoff with East Tennessee State’s Rhys Davies (a 2005 Walker Cup representative from Wales) and Tennessee’s Jonathan Mount. Davies and Mount eventually shared medalist honors after remaining deadlocked thorough four playoff holes.
Despite falling the playoff, Isban’s first-place showing was the best of his career, topping the runner-up showing he earned at the 2004 Prestige at PGA WEST. Also, Isban’s 36-hole mark of 138 was a career-best, two shots ahead of his old mark of 140 at the 2003 Nelson Invitational. In fact, it was the best two-round score by a Notre Dame golfer since Steve Ratay shot a 137 (66-71) at the 2001 Xavier Provident Invitational.
Senior Mark Baldwin (Laconia, N.H./New Hampton Prep) earned a tie for 14th place at two-over par 218 (73-72-73), his best score in a competitive tournament since he also registered a 218 at the 2004 Cleveland Golf/Augusta State Invitational. Behind Baldwin was senior Eric Deutsch (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes), who ended up tied for 32nd place at four-over par 222 (74-73-75), and classmate Scott Gustafson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie), who rose up to tie for 38th place at five-over par 223 (75-74-74). Sophomore Greg Rodgers (Phoenix, Md./St. Paul’s School) saved his best round for last, deadlocking for 57th place at 13-over par 229 (76-79-74).
Notre Dame will back on the links Oct. 9-10 when it travels to Durham, N.C., for the Coca-Cola Duke Golf Classic, hosted by No. 5 Duke. It also will be a homecoming of sorts for Kubinski, who served as an assistant for the Blue Devil men’s and women’s golf teams from 2003-04.
— ND —