Oct. 23, 2001
Scarsdale, N.Y. – The Notre Dame men’s golf team closed out the fall portion of the 2001-02 schedule with a 15th place finish at the 36-hole Tillinghast Invitational in Scarsdale, N.Y. on Tuesday afternoon. The Irish shot rounds of 305 on Monday and 309 this afternoon for a 614 total. That put Notre Dame 37 strokes behind tournament winner Illinois as the Illini finished play with a 17-over par team total of 577 (285-292).
Senior captain Steve Ratay (Arlington Heights, Ill.) led the Notre Dame contingent with another strong tournament as he finished in a tie for eighth in the 120-man field with a four-over par total of 144. Ratay shot 71 on the par 70, 6,835-yard Quaker Ridge Golf Club course on Monday and finished with a 74 for the final 18 holes of play. That put him just six strokes behind co-medalists Geoff Lound and James Lepp of the University of Illinois.
Lound was the first round leader with a 67 and followed with a 71 for his two-under par total of 138. Lepp was three strokes behind after an opening round of 70, but shot a two-under 68 to finish with a 138 and give the Illini the top two finishers and the only golfers to finish the tournament under par.
As a team, Illinois finished just three strokes ahead of Minnesota for the team title as the Gophers turned in rounds of 288 and 292 for a 580 total. Texas-Arlington was third, 12 strokes off the lead with 589 (298-291). Penn State (296-294-590) and Northwestern (296-294-590) rounded out the top five teams as they tied for fourth in the tournament.
Following Ratay for the Irish was junior Brandon Lunke (San Antonio, Texas) who tied for 21st with rounds of 75 and 74 for a nine-over par 149. Chris Whitten (Sr., Rockford, Mich.) was third among Notre Dame golfers after shooting rounds of 79-81 for a 20-over par total of 160 and an 88th place tie.
Freshman Ryan Marshall (Marco Island, Fla.) tied for 93rd with a 161 total (80-81) and Kevin Ricci (Sr., Stuart, Fla.) tied for 102nd as he shot 81-83-164.
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (36 holes): 1. Illinois 285-292-577, 2. Minnesota 288-292-580, 3. Texas-Arlington 298-291-589, t4. Penn State 296-294-590, Northwestern 296-294-590, 6. Maryland 296-297-593, 7. Indiana 300-296-596, 8. Wisconsin 299-303-602, 9. Michigan 304-305-609, St. John’s 304-305-609, 11. James Madison 305-305-610, 12. Cincinnati 301-310-611, t13. Richmond 306-307-613, Eastern Michigan 315-298-613, 15. Notre Dame 305-309-614, 16. Seton Hall 307-310-617, 17. Navy 307-311-618, 18. Georgetown 309-317-626, 19. Iona College 314-314-618, 20. Boston College 316-314-630, 21. Bethune-Cookman 318-313-631, 22. Ball State 319-313-632, 23. Skidmore College 325-315-640, 24. Rutgers 336-320-656.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 120): t1. Geoff Lound (Illinois) 67-71-138, James Lepp (Illinois) 70-68-138, t3. Tom Johnson (Northwestern) 73-68-141, John Moheyer (Maryland) 70-71-141, t5. Neil Lykins (Cincinnati) 68-74-142, David Morgan (Minnesota) 72-70-142, 7. Dylan Esterling (Wisconsin) 71-72-143, t8. Steve Ratay (Notre Dame) 71-73-144, Simon Nash (Minnesota) 69-75-144, Matt Anderson (Minnesota) 72-72-144.
NOTRE DAME PLAYERS (of 120): t8. Steve Ratay 71-73-144, t21. Brandon Lunke 75-74-149, t88. Chris Whitten 79-81-160, t93. Ryan Marshall 80-81-161, t102. Kevin Ricci 81-83-164.