Feb. 28, 2005
NEW ORLEANS – The Notre Dame men’s golf team teed off its spring season in impressive fashion on Monday, surging into the lead after two rounds of the NOKIA Sugar Bowl Tulane Invitational in New Orleans. The Irish carded a 36-hole score of 598 (+22), including a tournament-low total of 293 in the second round, to take a one stroke lead over UNC Wilmington and a two-shot edge over Mississippi. Ten of the 14 teams in the field are within 10 strokes of the lead entering Tuesday’s final round at the famed par-72, 7,078-yard English Turn Golf & Country Club, home of the PGA Tour’s Compaq Classic.
“I thought we showed a heck of a lot of heart and determination out there today,” Notre Dame head coach Jim Kubinski said. “The winds were really strong (25-30 mph) and that led to some high scores for all the teams in the field. Early on, we were hitting some really good shots and just weren’t getting rewarded for them. But we scratched and clawed and the putts started to drop for us. All in all, it was a great competitive showing, especially considering the amount of preparation time we’ve had in comparison to many of the Southern teams that are here.”
Sophomore Cole Isban (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian HS) picked up right where he left off at the end of the fall 2004 season, firing an even-par 144 (73-71) to claim a share of the individual lead through two rounds with South Alabama’s Johnny Caldwell. Isban now has shot 73 or lower in seven of his last eight rounds and 11 of his 17 competitive rounds this season.
“I was really impressed with Cole’s results,” Kubinski said. “He wasn’t very comfortable out there with the winds, but he found a way to compete and showed tremendous heart and guts. He got all he could out of his two rounds after we knew these kinds of conditions were going to test our patience.”
Notre Dame also received solid first-day efforts from freshman Eddie Peckels (Pinehurst, N.C./Pope John Paul II (Fla.) HS) and junior Mark Baldwin (Laconia, N.H./New Hampton Prep), who are tied for 20th place in the 75-man field. Peckels, who is making his first appearance in the starting lineup for the Irish, shot a six-over par 150 (76-74), while Baldwin matched his score with rounds of 78 and 72. The latter mark was only one shot off Baldwin’s lowest round of the season, which he set as an individual competitor at the Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational back in October.
“I was thrilled with the way Eddie came out,” Kubinski said. “He started off at five-over through the first six holes, but settled down and played the rest of the way in one-under. His short game was outstanding and he must have drained about three acres worth of putts. You could just see his face lighting up as the day wore on and he gained more and more confidence.”
Junior Tommy Balderston (Boca Raton, Fla./St. Andrews HS) is currently tied for 40th place at 11-over par 155 (78-77), while junior Eric Deutsch (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes HS) rounded out the Irish lineup with a 54th-place tie at 15-over par 159 (83-76).
“One of the things I was most pleased with was the fact that everyone had at least one of their rounds count to our team total,” Kubinski said. “As for Eric — talk about guts. He had a double bogey late in that second round, but came back with five straight pars to finish and wound up with a 76 that we counted in our low round of the day.”
Notre Dame will wrap up play at the NOKIA Sugar Bowl Tulane Invitational Tuesday beginning at 8 a.m. (CDT). Final results from the tournament will be available at www.und.com and via the Notre Dame Sports Hotline (574-631-3000) at the conclusion of play.
— ND —
NOKIA Sugar Bowl Tulane Invitational
English Turn Golf & Country Club – New Orleans, La.
Par 72 – 7,078 yards
Monday, Feb. 28 – 36-hole scores
TEAM LEADERS: 1. NOTRE DAME 598 (305-293); 2. UNC Wilmington 599 (296-303); 3. Mississippi 600 (305-295); 4. (tie) Southern Mississippi 601 (306-295) and Tulsa 601 (297-304); 6. Southeastern Louisiana 602 (303-299); 7. (tie) Tulane 603 (307-296) and South Alabama 603 (304-299); 9. Middle Tennessee 605 (307-298); 10. West Florida 608 (307-301); 11. New Orleans 610 (308-302); 12. Louisiana-Lafayette 620 (314-306); 13. Jacksonville State 624 (312-312); 14. Tulane B 631 (314-317).
TOP SIX INDIVIDUALS PLUS NOTRE DAME PLAYERS (of 75): 1. (tie) Cole Isban (Notre Dame) 144 (73-71) and Johnny Caldwell (South Alabama) 144 (73-71); 3. (tie) Chris Wheeler (Tulane) 146 (73-73), Michael Thompson (Tulane) 146 (75-71), Mitch Cohlmia (Tulsa) 146 (73-73) and Brian Joyce (UNC Wilmington) 146 (71-75); 20. (tie) Eddie Peckels (Notre Dame) 150 (76-74) and Mark Baldwin (Notre Dame) 150 (78-72); 40. (tie) Tommy Balderston (Notre Dame) 155 (78-77); 54. (tie) Eric Deutsch (Notre Dame) 159 (83-76).