Oct. 11, 2015

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s golf team will travel to Carmel, Indiana, for Indiana University’s Crooked Stick Intercollegiate, which will be played on Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 12-13).

“We’re looking forward to our return to Crooked Stick,” Head Coach Jim Kubinski said. “Our 2013 experience saw us battling the Florida Gators down the stretch for a top-eight finish in a very strong field. This year’s field is also a good one. Coming off our strong finish at home a couple of weeks ago, I’d like to see us get into contention on the road this week. I loved the look of our players the last time out, especially when we were in or around the lead.”

The Details
Date: Oct 12-13, 2015
Format: 36 holes on Monday and 18 holes on Tuesday.
Tee Times: Monday features a 9:00 a.m. shotgun start for first round with second round directly following. Tee times for the third round begin at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday.
Location: Carmel, Indiana Course: Crooked Stick Golf Club
Tournament Field: Indiana, Ball State, Duke, Eastern Michigan, Illinois, IUPUI, Kentucky, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Purdue, Toledo and Xavier
Live Scoring/Leaderboards: GolfStat

Thomas Steve had a sweet hole in one today in prep for the Crooked Stick Invitational starting on Monday pic.twitter.com/WOuJjcv345

– Notre Dame Mens Golf (@NDMensGolf) October 11, 2015

On The Tee
— With junior Matthew Rushton sidelined due to an injury, the Irish are expected to start junior Blake Barens, sophomore Thomas Steve and freshmen Ben Albin, Miguel Delgado and Kevin Conners.

— Coach Kubinski on the lineup …
“No team is quite the same when their top player is out but we’ll look to our sixth man, Thomas, to step up and contribute. He’s playing well right now and will be prepared. We’ll have three freshmen in there this week and all three have played well in preparation. Blake, coming off his career-best finish, will fill out our lineup.”

— Crooked Stick Golf Club has played host to many major tournaments, including the 2009 US Senior Open and the 2012 BMW Championship, as well as the 1991 PGA Championship.

— Notre Dame last played in the Crooked Stick Intercollegiate in 2013, finishing eighth. The Irish are coming off a first-place tie in the Fighting Irish Golf Classic two weeks ago, and will look to keep up their success on the road in Carmel.

— Coach Kubinski scouts the course …
“Coach Gump and I know Crooked Stick as site of John Daly’s 1991 PGA Championship win, but our guys know it for Rory’s win at the 2012 BMW Championship, making us feel old. The BMW is headed back to “The Stick” next summer. It’s a championship test. I really like the design as there is room in most places and good shots lead to good birdie chances but, at the same time, there are some shots when you can’t fake it. You have to hit it well. That’s a test most every player looks forward to.”