Oct. 9, 2005
Complete Results from Coca-Cola Duke Classic in PDF Format
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DURHAM, N.C. — The Notre Dame men’s golf team continues to compete well against some of the nation’s other premier programs this fall, moving into seventh place after Sunday’s first two rounds at the 15-team Coca-Cola Duke Classic, being held in Durham, N.C., at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club (par 72/7,045 yards). The Irish, who are ranked as high as 12th in the country (according to Golfweek), posted their best 36-hole score of the 2005 fall season, carding a one-over par 577 (291-286) and finding themselves 15 shots back of the tournament co-leaders — No. 5 Duke and 21st-ranked Coastal Carolina. Notre Dame now has gone 291 or lower in five of its last six rounds, while the second-round 286 was its best mark of the fall and its lowest team score since a 282 in the final round of last year’s NCAA Central Regional.
Senior Scott Gustafson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) is among the leaders on the individual ladder through two rounds, firing a five-under par 139 (70-69) to tie for fourth place in the 81-player field, five strokes behind pacesetter Dustin Johnson of Coastal Carolina. Gustafson’s 139 also matches the best 36-hole score of his career, which he set on Oct. 13, 2003, at the SMU/Stonebridge Invitational in McKinney, Texas. Gustafson, who is ranked 75th nationally in the Golfweek ratings, went on to shoot a career-low 210 (-6) at that event, finishing third and helping the Irish win the team title.
Senior Mark Baldwin (Laconia, N.H./New Hampton Prep) remains rock solid for Notre Dame this year, currently tying for 15th place at the Duke Classic with a two-round total of two-under par 142 (70-72). Baldwin now has shot par or better in five of his eight rounds this fall and is poised for a third top-15 finish in as many tournaments. In fact, Baldwin, the nation’s 50th-ranked player by Golfweek, has placed 20th or better in eight of his last 10 tournaments, dating back to the 2004-05 season.
Junior Cole Isban (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian), who came into the weekend as the 31st-ranked player by Golfweek, shook off a sluggish first round with a better afternoon session and is tied for 40th place at three-over par 147 (76-71). His second-round 71 marked the fifth time in the past seven rounds Isban has matched or broken par. Meanwhile, sophomore Greg Rodgers (Phoenix, Md./St. Paul’s School) is in a 56th-place tie at six-over par 150 (76-74), and senior Eric Deutsch (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes) completed the Irish scoring with a share of 69th place at eight-over par 152 (75-77).
The Notre Dame contingent will open Monday’s final round at 8 a.m. EDT (7 a.m. EST/CDT in South Bend) from the first tee at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club. A complete recap and final statistics will be available upon conclusion of the day’s events on the official Irish athletics web site (www.und.com).
— ND —
TEAM RESULTS (36-hole totals): 1. (tie) Coastal Carolina 562 (280-282) and Duke 562 (283-279); 3. Minnesota 568 (286-282); 4. Charlotte 571 (284-287); 5. Northwestern 572 (288-284); 6. North Carolina State 574 (290-284); 7. NOTRE DAME 577 (291-286); 8. UNC Greensboro 578 (295-283); 9. (tie) North Carolina 582 (297-285) and Michigan State 582 (289-293); 11. Florida Southern 586 (303-283); 12. Virginia Tech 588 (296-292); 13. Virginia 589 (294-295); 14. UNC Wilmington 593 (299-294); 15. Ohio State 602 (301-301).
TOP EIGHT INDIVIDUALS PLUS NOTRE DAME GOLFERS (of 81): 1. Dustin Johnson (Coastal Carolina) 134 (67-67); 2. Ryan Brehm (Michigan State) 136 (66-70); 3. Antti Ahokas (Minnesota) 137 (69-68); 4. (tie) Scott Gustafson (Notre Dame) 139 (70-69), Nathan Stamey (UNC Greensboro) 139 (72-67), Greg Koch (Florida Southern) 139 (72-67), Matt Mincer (Charlotte) 139 (71-68) and Jake Grodzinsky (Duke) 139 (70-69); 15. (tie) Mark Baldwin 142 (70-72); 40. (tie) Cole Isban (Notre Dame) 147 (76-71); 56. (tie) Greg Rodgers (Notre Dame) 150 (76-74); 69. (tie) Eric Deutsch (Notre Dame) 152 (75-77).