Oct. 18, 1999
LOUISVILLE, Kty. – Notre Dame sophomore Steve Ratay (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey HS) continued his torrid play by firing an even-par 72 while the Irish men’s golf team concluded first-round action just seven shots out of the lead, following Monday’s opening-day action at the Louisville Intercollegiate.
Ratay – who has shot par or better in five of his last seven rounds – stands tied for fifth in the 90-player field, after firing an even-par 72 at the 6,850-yard Persimmon Ridge Golf Club. Irish junior Alex Kent is tied for 11th after an opening-round 74 while junior Adam Anderson (77) and senior Jeff Connell (78) also factored into the team score in the play-five, count-four format.
Senior captain Todd Vernon carded a first-round 79, representing just the 12th time in 87 career rounds that he has not counted to the team score.
Notre Dame heads into Tuesday’s second and final round just five shots behind leader Morehead State, which posted a 294 team score on Monday. Notre Dame’s 301 total leaves the Irish just one stroke behind Western Kentucky and Cincinnati (300) and three back of Ohio University (298).
Kentucky’s Wes Furnish sits atop the individual leader board, after an opening-round 69. Morehead State’s Ben Hensley (71) stands in second place, with Marquette’s Sam O’Dell and DePaul’s Ryan Fisher tied with Ratay for fifth.
Ratay has played 10 rounds for the Irish this fall (seven at par-72, three at par-71) and stands just one total stroke over par for the season, with a 71.8 stroke average. He has shot 73 or lower in nine of his 10 rounds, including two sub-par and four even-par rounds.
Notre Dame is looking to conclude its fall season with another strong finish, after winning the Air Force Invitational, tying for first at the Legends of Indiana Intercollegiate and placing third at the Xavier Invitational.
Ratay’s fall has included an 11th-place finish at Air Force (70-72-77/219), a first-place showing at The Legends (71-70-73/214) and a fifth-place finish at Xavier (71-70-72/213).
TEAM STANDINGS (18 holes of 36): 1. Morehead State 294, 2. Ohio University 298, 3. Cincinnati 300, Western Kentucky 300, 5. Notre Dame 301, 6. DePaul 303, 7. Kentucky 304, 8. Louisville 306, Marshall 306, 10. Marquette 307, Illinois 307, Saint Louis 307, Ball State 307, 14. Akron 310, 15. Eastern Kentucky 314, Youngstown State 314, 17. Murray State 318, 18. Wisconsin 321.
TOP INDIVIDUALS (of 90): 1. Wes Furnish (KY) 69, 2. Ben Hensley (MORE) 71, 3. Sam O’Dell (MAR) 72, Ryan Fisher (DEP) 72, Steve Ratay (ND) 72, 6. Ryan Lilly (CIN) 73, Brad Morris (EKY) 73, Jeremy Grantham (MUR) 73, Mark Wentz (MARQ) 73, Eric Mason (WKY) 73.
OTHER NOTRE DAME SCORES: 11. Alex Kent 74, 39. Adam Anderson 77, 46. Jeff Connell 78, 54. Todd Vernon 79.