Sept. 19, 2003
TOLEDO, Ohio – The Notre Dame men’s golf team did not get off to the start it had hoped for in the 2003-04 season, battling a difficult course and tricky weather conditions on Friday to wind up in 15th place through the first two rounds of the Inverness Intercollegiate Invitational at the famed Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. The Irish posted a team score of 627 (310-317) and trail tournament leader UCLA by 33 shots entering Saturday’s final 18 holes.
The 7,255-yard, par-71 Inverness layout has been home to eight major championship tournaments and it reared its head on day one this year, as no one in the 75-player field was able to break par in the first two rounds. Sophomore Scott Gustafson (Rochester, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) fired two of the lowest scores of the day for Notre Dame, finishing tied for 13th just six shots off the lead with a 36-hole score of 150 (77-73). Sophomore Dan Klauer (Granger, Ind./Mishawaka Marian HS) and freshman walk-on Adam Gifford, who was added to the Irish roster in the last month, both are tied for 51st place after carding identical 158 scores.
Two of the newest Notre Dame players, freshmen Shane Sigsbee (McKinney, Texas/McKinney HS) and Cole Isban (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian HS) had their troubles on their first day of collegiate competition. Sigsbee is tied for 61st place with a two-round score of 161 (80-81). Meanwhile, Isban registered an opening-round 81, but was disqualified after his second round for turning in the wrong scorecard, an error that also caused the dismissal of Northwestern T.C. Ford.
The Irish are part of a group of eight teams separated by just 12 shots and Notre Dame will look to climb back through the field when it concludes the Inverness Intercollegiate Invitational Saturday at 2 p.m. (EDT).
— ND —
TEAM RESULTS (36-hole totals): 1. UCLA 594 (294-300); 2. Illinois 597 (301-296); 3. Kansas State 602 (299-303); 4. Michigan State 603 (307-296); 5. (tie) New Mexico 606 (296-310) and Oklahoma 606 (299-307); 7. Augusta (Ga.) State 609 (309-300); 8. Central Florida 615 (304-311); 9. Minnesota 617 (309-308); 10. (tie) Kent State 618 (303-315) and Northwestern 618 (306-312); 12. Duke 622 (316-306); 13. (tie) Toledo 623 (313-310) and Missouri 623 (304-319); 15. NOTRE DAME 627 (310-317).
TOP 12 INDIVIDUALS (of 75): 1. Ben Fox (Michigan State) 144 (72-72); 2. (tie) John Merrick (UCLA) 145 (71-74) and Justin Smith (Minnesota) 145 (71-74); 4. (tie) Steve Conway (UCLA) 147 (73-74) and Joe Affrunti (Illinois) 147 (74-73); 6. (tie) Jay Reynolds (New Mexico) 148 (72-76), Dillon Dougherty (Northwestern) 148 (76-72) and Martin Flores (Oklahoma) 148 (73-75); 9. (tie) Patrick Nagle (Illinois) 149 (77-72), Barry Roof (UCF) 149 (73-76), Ryan Blaum (Duke) 149 (73-76) and Matt Harmon (Michigan State) 149 (77-72).
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 75): 13. (tie) Scott Gustafson 150 (77-73); 51. (tie) Dan Klauer 158 (77-81) and Adam Gifford 158 (76-82); 61. (tie) Shane Sigsbee 161 (80-81); DQ. Cole Isban (81-DQ).