Oct. 4, 2004
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Playing in one of the most high-powered tournaments of the fall collegiate golf season, the Notre Dame men’s golf team is tied for 14th place through one round of the Windon Memorial Classic, being played in Lake Forest, Ill., at the par-71, 6,849-yard Conway Farms Golf Club. The Irish carded an opening-round score of 23-over par 307, matching the score posted by Richmond, and were nearing completion of their second round when darkness descended on the course, calling a halt to the day’s activities. The second round will be completed on Tuesday morning, followed immediately by the third and final round.
The Windon Memorial Classic features some of the top teams from not only the Midwest, but around the country. In fact, 14 of the 18 teams in the field qualified for NCAA regional play last year, with five squads going on to the NCAA Championship, including eventual national champion California. LSU took a four-stroke lead after round one at four-over par 287, outpacing Duke (291) and 2003 NCAA champion Minnesota (293). In a stunning turn of events, California was last in the 18-team field through the first round with a score of 314.
Freshman Greg Rodgers (Phoenix, Md./St. Paul’s) was Notre Dame’s top individual performer on Monday, firing a three-over par 74 (35-39) to grab a share of 21st place. Sophomore Cole Isban (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) was next for the Irish at five-over par 76 (39-37) , good for a 43rd-place tie. Junior Tommy Balderston (Boca Raton, Fla./St. Andrews) struggled on the outward nine, but recovered nicely to shoot a six-over par 77 (41-36) and tie for 51st place in his first team round of the year — he had played six rounds as an individual this season. Surprisingly, two of Notre Dame’s strongest players this season, junior Eric Deutsch (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes) and Scott Gustafson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie), had the most trouble on Monday. Deutsch is tied for 74th place with a nine-over par 80 (42-38), while Gustafson returned from a three-week layoff due to injury with a 15-over par 86 (42-44) to tie for 89th place.
Complete results from the final two rounds of the Windon Memorial Classic will be available Tuesday evening on the official Notre Dame athletics web site (www.und.com).
— ND —
TEAM RESULTS (18-hole totals): 1. LSU 287; 2. Duke 291; 3. Minnesota 293; 4. (tie) Northwestern & Kent State 294; 6. (tie) Toledo & Purdue 296; 8. Illinois & North Florida 297; 10. Stanford 301; 11. Oklahoma 304; 12. (tie) Kansas & Furman 305; 14. (tie) NOTRE DAME & Richmond 307; 16. (tie) North Carolina State and UC Davis 309; 18. California 314.
TOP NINE INDIVIDUALS (of 90): 1. Bronson LaCassie (Minnesota) 69; 2. (tie) Chris Wells (LSU), Peter Laws (Kent State), Peter Richardson (Purdue) and Anthony Kim (Oklahoma) 70; 6. (tie) Heath West (LSU), Michael Schachner (Duke), Bryce Mueller (Duke) and Garrett Chaussard (Illinois) 71.
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (of 90): 21. (tie) Greg Rodgers 74 (35-39); 43. (tie) Cole Isban 76 (39-37); 51. (tie) Tommy Balderston 77 (41-36); 74. (tie) Eric Deutsch 80 (42-38); 89. (tie) Scott Gustafson 86 (42-44).