Sept. 16, 2006
Gopher Invitational Results (through 36 holes) in PDF Format
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WAYZATA, Minn. – The Notre Dame men’s golf team opened its 2006 season Saturday afternoon by moving into seventh place after two rounds at the Gopher Invitational, which is being contested at the Spring Hill Golf Club (par 72/7,020 yards) in Wayzata, Minn. The Irish carded a 36-hole score of 32-over par 608 (313-295) and stand almost squarely in the middle of the 12-team field, 18 strokes behind tournament leader and host Minnesota (the third-place finisher at last year’s NCAA Championship). Notre Dame currently is ahead of a pair of Big Ten Conference schools — Northwestern by six shots (the Wildcats were 24th in last year’s final Golfweek rankings) and Ohio State by two strokes.
Freshman Doug Fortner (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) has played well to this point in his first collegiate tournament, tying for 15th place in the 66-man field with a two-round total of six-over par 150 (79-71). The rookie’s second round was especially notable, as he aced Spring Hill’s 17th hole, which was the second hole of his afternoon round. Fortner’s hole-in-one is the first by an Irish golfer since Oct. 18, 2005, when Cole Isban had an ace in the final round of The Prestige at PGA WEST on the 13th hole of the Greg Norman Course at PGA WEST in La Quinta, Calif.
Mirroring the fortunes of the Irish team on Saturday, senior All-America candidate and co-captain Cole Isban (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) rebounded from a slow start with a solid afternoon session, moving into a tie for 19th place at seven-over par 151 (79-72). Sophomore Josh Sandman (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) is another shot further back in a 24th-place tie at eight-over par 152 (75-77), while junior Mike King (Sidney, Ohio/Sidney) is deadlocked in 38th place at 11-over par 155 (80-75). Senior co-captain Adam Gifford (Plymouth, Ind./Plymouth) completed the Notre Dame scoring in a tie for 60th place at 21-over par 165 (85-80).
The Irish will return to the course Sunday at 7:30 a.m. (CT) for the final round of the Gopher Invitational, with teams going off via a split-tee start from the first and 10th holes at Spring Hill. Live in-progress scoring for the tournament is available through the Golfstat web site, and final results will be posted on the official Notre Dame athletics web site (www.und.com) upon completion of the day’s action. Fans also can obtain updates on the Irish at the Gopher Invitational through the Notre Dame Sports Hotline (574-631-3000) and the Irish ALERT text message system at the following link.
— ND —
Gopher Invitational
Sept. 16, 2006 — Wayzata, Minn.
Spring Hill Golf Club (par 72/7,020 yards)
TEAM RESULTS (36-hole totals): 1. Minnesota 590 (303-287); 2. (tie) Stanford 592 (301-291) and SMU 592 (298-294); 4. (tie) Michigan State 595 (306-289) and Indiana 595 (300-295); 6. Lamar 599 (304-295); 7. NOTRE DAME 608 (313-295); 8. Ohio State 610 (303-307); 9. Northwestern 614 (314-300); 10. Georgia Southern 618 (311-307); 11. Denver 628 (318-310); 12. Finland 641 (326-315).
TOP FIVE INDIVIDUALS PLUS NOTRE DAME FINISHES (of 66): 1. Colt Knost (SMU) 138 (71-67); 2. (tie) Bronson LaCassie (Minnesota) 142 (73-69) and Zack Miller (Stanford) 142 (71-71); 4. Niall Turner (Minnesota) 143 (74-69); 5. Jorge Campillo (Indiana) 145 (72-73); 15. (tie) Doug Fortner (Notre Dame) 150 (79-71); 19. (tie) Cole Isban (Notre Dame) 151 (79-72); 24. (tie) Josh Sandman (Notre Dame) 152 (75-77); 38. (tie) Mike King (Notre Dame) 155 (80-75); 60. (tie) Adam Gifford (Notre Dame) 165 (85-80).