April 11, 2005
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame junior golfer Mark Baldwin (Laconia, N.H./New Hampton Prep) set a new school and Warren Golf Course record on Saturday, carding a seven-under par 63 in the first round of a 36-hole dual match against No. 11 TCU. Baldwin broke the nearly 42-year-old Irish single-round mark of 64, set by Mike O’Connell on May 4, 1963, in a quadrangular match against Northwestern, Ball State and Bellarmine (Ky.) College at Notre Dame’s old Burke Memorial Golf Course.
Baldwin also topped the previous Warren Golf Course record of 66 (-4), established by Indiana’s Jeff Overton on Sept. 19, 2004 in the final round of the Notre Dame Invitational/Central Regional Preview. PGA and Champions Tour veteran Jerry Pate (the 1976 U.S. Open champion and PGA Tour Co-Player of the Year) actually shot an eight-under par 62 (30-32) at the par-70 Warren Golf Course on July 28, 2001. However, that round took place from the regulation men’s tees (6,744 yards) before numerous renovations were made to the course, including the completion of the championship-length tees (7,011 yards) that Baldwin played from.
Baldwin registered an eagle and two birdies on the front nine and went out in 31 (-4), before coming home with a 32 on the back nine (four birdies, one bogey). He actually had an opportunity to push his score even lower, three-putting for a bogey on No. 16, before rebounding with consecutive birdies to close out his historic round. Coupled with his 74 in the afternoon session, Baldwin matched the second-lowest 36-hole score in school history, firing a 137 (63-74) to place one shot behind O’Connell’s Irish standard of 136, set in the aforementioned 1963 quadrangular. O’Connell also had a 137 in a four-team match (Air Force, Iowa, Western Illinois) at the Burke Memorial Golf Course on May 15, 1965.
In the team competition, TCU came back from a 10-shot deficit after the morning session to defeat the Irish, 563-581. Notre Dame shot an opening-round 282 (+2), which was its second-lowest score of the season and tied for the third-lowest mark in school history. The school record is 275 at the 1999 Air Force Invitational, followed by a 279 at the 2004 Nelson Invitational, although the latter event was played on the par-69 Stanford Golf Course that is currently undergoing renovation. The Horned Frogs bounced back in the afternoon, carding an amazing nine-under par 271, with three golfers shooting sub-70 rounds, to pull out the victory.
Baldwin’s 137 earned him medalist honors for the first time in his career by two strokes over TCU’s David Schultz (139). Sophomore Cole Isban (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian HS) was next for the Irish at six-over par 146 (73-73), while junior Scott Gustafson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) shot a seven-over par 147 (72-75). Freshman Greg Rodgers (Phoenix, Md./St. Paul’s School) fired a 14-over par 154 (74-80), tying the score of his sophomore teammate Shane Sigsbee (McKinney, Texas/McKinney HS), who had matching rounds of 77.
Eight other Notre Dame golfers competed as individuals in the dual match. Junior Eric Deutsch (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes HS) led the way with a five-over par 145 (72-73), his two lowest rounds of the spring, while sophomore Adam Gifford (Plymouth, Ind./Plymouth HS) shot a seven-over par 147 (75-72), with his second-round score being the lowest of his career. Freshman Mike King (Sidney, Ohio/Sidney HS) also charted a 147 (73-74), while fellow rookie Eddie Peckels (Pinehurst, N.C./Pope John Paul II HS (Fla.)) was one shot behind with an eight-over par 148 (74-74), matching his low rounds of the spring.
Rounding out the Irish individuals were: junior Tommy Balderston (Boca Raton, Fla./St. Andrews HS) at nine-over par 149 (75-74); senior co-captain K.C. Wiseman (South Bend, Ind./Riley HS), who shot a 10-over par 150 (76-74); sophomore Adam Hoyer (Lutz, Fla./Tampa Jesuit HS) at 13-over par 153 (79-74), and senior co-captain Steve Colnitis (Baldwin, Md./St. Paul’s School) at 16-over par 156 (81-75). Wiseman’s rounds were his lowest of the spring, while Colnitis’ second-round 75 was his best of the year.
Notre Dame returns to action next weekend (April 16-17) when it travels to Bryan, Texas, for the Aggie Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M. It will serve as the final tune-up event for the Irish before they play host to the BIG EAST Conference Championship on April 23-24 at the Warren Golf Course.
— ND —
#11 TCU 563 (292-271), Notre Dame 581 (282-299)
April 9, 2005
Warren Golf Course (par 70/7,011 yards)
Notre Dame, Ind.
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUAL RESULTS: 1. Mark Baldwin 137 (63-74); 6. Eric Deutsch* 145 (72-73); 7. Cole Isban 146 (73-73); 8. (tie) Scott Gustafson 147 (72-75), Adam Gifford* 147 (75-72) and Mike King* 147 (73-74); 11. Eddie Peckels* 148 (74-74); 12. Tommy Balderston* 149 (75-74); 13. K.C. Wiseman* 150 (76-74); 14. Adam Hoyer* 153 (79-74); 15. (tie) Greg Rodgers 154 (74-80) and Shane Sigsbee 154 (77-77); 17. (tie) Steve Colnitis 156 (81-75).
* – competed as an individual; scores not counted to team total