March 17, 2007
LAREDO, Texas — Throughout his storied four-year career, Cole Isban (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) has etched his name all over the Irish men’s golf record books. However, on Saturday, the senior All-America candidate did something only one other Notre Dame golfer has accomplished in the 78-year history of the program.
Competing in the 56th annual Border Olympics at the par-72, 7,241-yard Laredo (Texas) Country Club, Isban carded a seven-under par 209 (70-68-71) to tie Jeff Connell’s 54-hole school record and set a new Irish standard for the lowest tournament score with relation to par. Connell registered a 209 (-4) at the 1998 Marshall Invitational in Huntington, W.Va. (played on a par-71 course), while four different Notre Dame golfers have posted six-under par scores a total of five times (most recently by Mark Baldwin at the 2006 Lexus Naples Intercollegiate in Naples, Fla.). Isban also came away with his second top-five finish of the year and eighth of his career.
As a team, the Irish held steady in the final round, remaining in sixth place with a three-round total of one-over par 865 (284-294-287), which also matches the sixth-lowest 54-hole team score in school history. In fact, during its two Spring Break tournaments in the past week, Notre Dame logged two of the six lowest team scores in program annals — the Irish fired an 863 in the Triumph at Pauma Valley on Monday and Tuesday. No. 9 Lamar ran away with the Border Olympics title at 29-under par 835, with Baylor rising up to take second at 854 (-10).
Sophomore Josh Sandman (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) capped off his best outing of the spring, tying for 21st place at even-par 216 (71-73-72). Senior co-captain Adam Gifford (Plymouth, Ind./Plymouth) shared 45th place at six-over par 222 (70-79-73), while junior Eddie Peckels (Pinehurst, N.C./Pope John Paul II (Fla.)) and freshman Doug Fortner (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) tied for 54th place at eight-over par 224 — Peckels shot rounds of 73, 74 and 77, while Fortner carded scores of 73, 80 and 71.
Notre Dame will be back in action in two weeks, as the Irish travel to Evans, Ga., March 30-April 1 for the Administaff Augusta State Invitational at Champions Retreat Golf Club.
— ND —
Border Olympics
March 16-17, 2007 • Laredo, Texas
Laredo Country Club (par 72/7,241 yards)
FINAL TEAM SCORES (54-hole totals): 1. Lamar 835 (285-270-280); 2. Baylor 854 (284-289-281); 3. Vanderbilt 858 (285-281-292); 4. Texas-Arlington 859 (281-289-289); 5. Houston 863 (298-272-293); 6. NOTRE DAME 865 (284-294-287); 7. Arkansas 867 (299-282-286); 8. South Alabama 869 (292-288-289); 9. North Texas 870 (293-290-287); 10. Louisiana-Lafayette 876 (286-292-298); 11. Texas State 885 (300-291-294); 12. Washington State 892 (296-294-302); 13. (tie) Rice 896 (299-298-299) and Memphis 896 (297-297-302); 15. Arkansas-Little Rock 922 (309-305-308).
TOP FIVE INDIVIDUALS PLUS NOTRE DAME GOLFERS (of 81): 1. Justin Harding (Lamar) 206 (71-67-68); 2. (tie) Luke List (Vanderbilt) 208 (68-74-66), Dawie Van Der Walt (Lamar) 208 (72-67-69) and Zack Reeves (Texas-Arlington) 208 (69-68-71); 5. Cole Isban (Notre Dame) 209 (70-68-71); 21. (tie) Josh Sandman (Notre Dame) 216 (71-73-72); 45. (tie) Adam Gifford (Notre Dame) 222 (70-79-73); 54. (tie) Eddie Peckels (Notre Dame) 224 (73-74-77) and Doug Fortner (Notre Dame) 224 (73-80-71).