Oct. 12, 2002
Fresno, Calif. – October 12, 2002 //For Immediate Release//
The Notre Dame men’s golf team shot a final round of 303 Saturday afternoon to tie for 9th among a strong field at the Fresno State-Lexus Classic with a 21-over par 885. The Irish were led by a career-best 213 performance from senior Brandon Lunke (San Antonio, Tex.). Notre Dame started the day in 3rd-place after an opening 36-hole total of 582 (288-294). The team was in first place after the first round Friday morning with an even par 288.
Tournament host Fresno State University won the tournament after starting the day in fourth place. The Bulldogs shot 870 (289-295-288) on the par-72, 6,847-yard San Joaquin Country Club. The team was led by individual winner Nick Watney who turned in a 54-hole total of 204 after firing a final round seven-under par 65. Shooting first and second round scores of 69 and 70, Watney began the day tied for first with Mark Warman of San Diego State.
Lunke was Notre Dame’s top finisher as he tied for 5th-place with his career-best three-under par 213 (69-71-73). Lunke’s previous best 54-hole total was 220, shot during the 2000-01 season, at the Legends of Indiana Tournament. Lunke’s opening round three-under par 69 equalled his 18-hole best while his 213 was the seventh-best 54-hole total in Notre Dame golf history.
Next for the Irish was freshman Scott Gustafson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) who shot a three-over par 219. Freshman Eric Deutsch (Rochester, Minn.) fnished with a 226 after firing a final round of 76. Rounding out the Irish field were Tommy Balderston (Fr., Boca Raton, Fla.) and Mark Baldwin (Fr., Laconia, N.H.) with 54-hole totals of 233.
The Irish return to action on Oct. 21-22 when they travel to Dallas, Texas to participate in the SMU Stonebridge Invitational at the Stonebridge Country Club.
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (54 holes): 1. Fresno State 289-295-286-870; 2. Texas-El Paso 294-286-292-872; 3. Colorado State 294-291-290-875; t4. San Diego State 292-288-297-877; Brigham Young 291-291-295-877; 6. Denver 296-291-295-882; 7. Augusta State 303-293-287-883; 8. Arizona State 305-288-291-884; t9. Notre Dame 288-294-303-885; Pacific 293-298-294-885; 11. San Jose State 301-297-290-888; 12. Utah 304-296-291-891; 13. Nevada 314-284-301-899; 14. UC-Santa Barbara 305-303-292-900; 15. Long Beach State 301-298-304-903; 16. Louisiana-Monroe 305-308-299-912; 17. Hawaii 312-306-309-927.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 91): 1. Nick Watney (Fresno State) 69-70-65-204; 2. Greg Machtaler (BYU) 70-69-68-207; t3. Daniel Summerhays (BYU) 69-70-71-210; Chad Spencer (Fresno State) 68-72-70-210; t5. Brandon Lunke (Notre Dame) 69-71-73-213; Mark Warman (San Diego State) 69-71-74-213; t7. Matt Hansen (Pacific) 71-74-69-214; Bryant Reyes (San Jose State) 74-71-69-214; t9. Nathan Fritz (UTEP) 72-69-74-215; Geoff Nuwash (Colorado State) 72-72-71-215; Charlie Smith (San Diego State) 73-70-72-215.
NOTRE DAME PLAYERS (of 91): t5. Brandon Lunke 69-71-73-213; t17. Scott Gustafson 69-74-76-219; t38. Eric Deutsch 74-74-76-224; t76. Tommy Balderston 76-75-82-233; t79. Mark Baldwin 76-80-78-234.