Nov. 18, 2015
By Claire Kramer
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Each year, Head Coach Jim Kubinski and the University of Notre Dame men’s golf staff scour the nation for potential Irish players, and this season was no exception. Three members of the Class of 2020 signed National Letters of Intent to compete with the men’s golf team and study at Notre Dame beginning in the fall of 2016.
The newest members of the Fighting Irish include John Felitto (Mountainside, New Jersey), Davis Lamb (Potomac, Maryland) and Hunter Ostrom (Eagle, Idaho). All three will enroll at Notre Dame and join the Irish for the 2016-17 season.
“Our 2016 class is another example of our efforts to recruit nationally and to our values,” Kubinski said. “We’re looking for student-athletes with a desire to excel in the classroom, on the golf course and in community endeavors. Davis, John and Hunter are the next group to join our program with those pursuits in mind. We’re very much looking forward to their arrival in August of 2016.”
Davis Lamb – 6-0 – Georgetown Preparatory School – Potomac, Maryland
PREP AND PERSONAL: Ranked as the No. 1 Maryland player according to Golfweek, #50 in Class of 2016 … Tied for fourth at the 2015 Middle Atlantic Amateur Tournament … Led the Washington team to victory at the 2015 Baltimore-Washington Junior Team Match … Tied for fourth at 2015 Maryland State Junior Amateur … Placed second at 2015 Middle Atlantic Junior Amateur … Finished second at 2015 The Optimist Junior Championship … Won the 2014 FCWT at Duke University … Won the 2014 WMGA Bob Riley Memorial Tournament with a final round three-under par 69 … Semi-finalist at 95th WMGA Metropolitan Amateur in 2014 … Selected to represent Maryland in the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Junior Invitational … Tied for third at the 2014 AJGA Philadelphia Junior Tournament … Was the 2014 Congressional Country Club Junior Club Champion … Tied for third at the 2014 Maryland State Junior Amateur Tournament … Earned 2014 Washington Post All-Met Honorable Mention honors … Medalist at 2014 D.C. Scholastic Golf Association Championships, leading Georgetown Prep to first-place team finish … Second at 2014 AJGA Preseason at The Foundry … Won the 2014 IJGT Capitol Challenge at Westfields with one-under final round 70 … Awarded Player of the Year, All-American Honors on Pinehurst’s Winternational Junior Tour in 2014.
Kubinski on Lamb…
“Davis was our first commitment and is someone whose consistency leaps off the page. Pretty much every tournament I followed over the summer, Davis was in the Top-10 and contending. His 65 in the final round of the Optimist at PGA National, to finish 2nd, was certainly a highlight. PGA National tests the best players in the world every year and 65 isn’t often posted. That ability to go low, with his typically very consistent scores over time, is exciting. Better still, he seems to thrive on competition. Moving from junior golf to Division I college golf can be humbling. The player who lives to compete adjusts effectively. Davis has demonstrated his high compete factor at every opportunity. We’re very happy to welcome him to our program.”
John Felitto – 5-8 – Oratory Preparatory School – Mountainside, New Jersey
PREP AND PERSONAL: Two-time United States Junior Amateur Qualifier in 2014 and 2015 … 2014 New Jersey Qualifier for the Junior PGA Championship … Three-time New Jersey State Open Championship Qualifier from 2013-2015, and was the youngest qualifier in the field all three years … Ranked the No. 2 New Jersey player according to Golfweek … Has seven career top-ten finishes and ten top-25 finishes in AJGA events … Won the 2014 New Jersey State Division in 2014 … Selected to the New Jersey PGA All-State First Team in 2014 and 2015 … Medalist at the 2014 Junior PGA Championship Qualifier and the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifier … Medalist at the 2014 Optimist International Golf Championship Qualifier … Tied for 25th in the 2014 Golfweek Junior International Invitational … Helped his team to a first-place finish while placing fourth individually at the 2015 Williamson Cup … Posted high finishes in several high school tournaments, including: the 2015 Peddie Invitational (First), the 2015 Conference Tournament (First), the 2015 State Sectional Tournament (First), the 2015 NJ Prep School Tournament (Second), the 2015 State Tournament (Division Champion, fifth overall), the 2014 State Sectional Tournament (Division Champion), and 2014 State Tournament (Division Champion) … Ranked third in Oratory Preparatory School Class of 2016.
Kubinski on Felitto …
“John committed to us early in 2015. He’s a lefty, giving current freshman Ben Albin a stable mate. John is another “all in” type player, always looking for ways to improve and relishing competition. His golf swing is strong, has excellent planes and plenty of speed through the hitting zone. John has posted six finishes in the Top-8 over his last eight ranked events, with more than half his rounds at 72 or lower. Similar to Davis, John’s week-in-and-week-out consistency, with his sub-70 rounds mixed in, is impressive. Like all college players, he’ll get stronger physically, which will give him another weapon in battling `Old Man Par.’ John’s desire though, will be a strong asset as he makes the transition to the college game. He is the player who wants to be first, no matter what the setting. That mentality is one coaches get excited about. We’re excited about John.”
Hunter Ostrom – 6-2 – Bishop Kelly High School – Eagle, Idaho
PREP AND PERSONAL: Two-time Idaho State High School Champion in 2013 and 2015 … Two-time Idaho State District Champion in 2014 and 2015 … 2013 and 2014 Idaho Junior America’s Cup Team Member … 2013 and 2014 Idaho Hogan’s Cup Team Member … Top-5 in 2014 Hogan’s Cup … 2014 and 2015 McCall Junior Boys Amateur Champion … Became first junior player in 80 years to win the McCall Men’s Amateur in 2015 … Top-5 in The Big I National Junior … Played the No. 1 varsity spot at Bishop Kelly from 2012-2015 … Made Dean’s List from 2012-2015 at Bishop Kelly High School… Member of Bishop Kelly Basketball Team … Member of the Golf All-State Team all three years.
Kubinski on Ostrom …
“Hunter committed to us over the summer, completing a class that we’re very excited about. He has lofty goals and the work ethic and commitment, to chase them. Hunter has six finishes in the Top-5 over his last seven ranked events. Every time we traveled to watch him play, we saw him put himself into a position to win the tournament. The lessons he’s taking away each time out, lessons to apply, are allowing him to blossom as a player. Hunter is very solid through the bag though. He drives it well, hits lots of greens and has depth and variety around the green. His biggest asset though is his identity as a competitor. Coaches get excited about guys who show up at the course with the singular focus of giving all they have in order to compete at their best each day. That’s Hunter. It’s also a big reason why he will enjoy success as he continues to work at his craft.”
“We’re thrilled to announce our 2016 signing class, as our three signees have not only posted excellent national results but have also shown tremendous development over the last couple of years. We’re not seeing a plateau but, instead, steady advances from each,” Kubinski said about all three signees.
“With continued work, I feel each player will have an immediate impact on our program. We’ve seen this from our current freshmen class, having had all three in our starting five in multiple events this Fall. Our 2016 class has that capability. It’s exciting for our program to have not only depth but also quality depth, which is something we’ve worked for since our 2010-11 and 2011-2012 NCAA teams. We’ll enjoy excellent competition from within each week, which only sharpens us as we compete coast to coast.”
— ND —
Kramer is a sophomore student assistant for Fighting Irish Media, working closely with the Athletics Communications Directors for the men’s golf, basketball and cross country/track programs. An American Studies major with a minor in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy, Kramer is from Olathe, Kansas.