May 19, 2011
OCALA, Fla. – The University of Notre Dame men’s golf team sits alone in seventh place after the first round of the NCAA Florida Regional on Thursday at the Golden Ocala Golf Course. The Irish posted an even-par round (288) led by freshman Niall Platt (Santa Barbara, Calif.) carding a four-under par score (68) on his opening day.
The host Florida Gators lead the field after the first day of competition after posting a six-under par (282). Arkansas sits in second, one shot off the lead, at five under (283), while Baylor and North Carolina State are tied for third at four under (284). Oregon’s Jack Dukeminier leads individually after posting a 66 (-6) for a one-shot lead over Southeastern Louisiana’s Philipp Westermann and Kennesaw State’s Ben Greene (67, -5).
Platt’s round began with four consecutive pars before he reeled off three consecutive birdies on holes five through seven to move to three under. The freshman would go bogey-free on the day and card one additional birdie on the par-five 12th hole to finish with an opening round 68 (-4), good for fourth overall in the field. It is the seventh time on the season that Platt has broken par and the fourth time in which he has posted a sub-70 score. Platt’s first round 68 ties the lowest Irish individual round score in NCAA competition, matching the mark the Eric Deutsch set in ’05 and Cole Isban equaled in ’06.
Paul McNamara III (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) sits second amongst the Irish rotation after the first day of play after posting an even-par 72 on his round. The sophomore played both the front and back nine at even par (36), carding one birdie and one bogey on each side. It is the sixth round this year that McNamara has posted an even- or under-par round and the first since his 71 (-1) at the Battle of the Warren. He is tied for 23rd after Thursday’s action.
Max Scodro (Chicago, Ill.) battled more of an up-and-down day on the course, finishing with 11 pars to go along with three birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey to conclude at two over par (74) on the day. He finished tied for third amongst the Irish rotation and is tied for 43rd overall.
Jeff Chen (Walnut, Calif.) matched Scodro with a 74 (+2), recording 12 pars, one birdie, three bogeys, one double bogey and an eagle on the par-five 12th hole. After making the turn at three over (39), Chen navigated the back nine at one under (35) to conclude his first day.
Chris Walker (The Woodlands, Texas) finished fifth amongst the Irish rotation and did not count toward the team score after putting together an opening round 75 (+3). The junior sat at even par after 14 holes, but a pair of double bogeys on holes 15 and 16 dropped him to four over par before ending his round on a high note with a birdie on the 18th hole. He is tied for 53rd place after the first round of play.
Notre Dame returns to the tee boxes starting at 8:00 a.m. (ET) on Friday off of the No. 10 tee alongside Southeastern Louisiana and Kennesaw State. Be sure to check back with und.com for a complete recap of the Irish and their second round at the NCAA Florida Regional.
NCAA Florida Regional - Golden Ocala Golf Course, Par 72 - 6,994 yards
Top-Four Team Scores (18-hole totals):1. Florida 282 -62. Arkansas 283 -5T3. Baylor 284 -4T3. N.C. State 284 -4
Top-Seven Golfers (18-hole totals):1. Jack Dukeminier, Oregon 66 -6T2. Ben Greene, Kennesaw State 67 -5T2. Philipp Westerman, SE La. 67 -5T4. Niall Platt, NOTRE DAME 68 -4T4. Mitchell Sutton, N.C. State 68 -4T4. Ethan Tracy, Arkansas 68 -4T4. Bank Vongvaij, Florida 68 -4
Notre Dame Scores (18-hole totals):T4. Niall Platt 68 -4T25. Paul McNamara III 72 ET43. Max Scodro 74 +2T43. Jeff Chen 74 +2T53. Chris Walker 75 +3