Tommy Balderston Class: Senior Hometown: Boca Raton, FL High School: St. Andrews Height / Weight: 6-4 / 185 Birthdate: 02/29/1984 Experience: 2V

COACH KUBINSKI SAYS... "Although Tommy did not make a start in the fall season, we're hoping his neck and shoulder injuries recover in time for him to contribute during our championship push in the spring. Tommy has battled injuries of various degrees throughout his career, but continues to push himself to make it back. There aren't too many players out there with the type of talent and attributes that Tommy has. He is so strong, which enables him to hit the ball great distances, as well as play through the long grass at times, too. Unlike many long hitters, Tommy also has a great touch around the greens. When his putting is on, like any of our seniors, he can go very low!"

AS A SENIOR (Fall of 2005): Did not see action because of injury.

SUMMER 2005: Qualified as an alternate for U.S. Amateur, finishing fourth in sectional qualifier at Stone Creek Golf Club in Urbana, Ill. ... fired an even-par 144 and was three strokes away from claiming one of the two automatic qualifying spot at the sectional.

AS A JUNIOR: Competed in six tournaments, three as a member of the Irish starting lineup and three as an individual participant ... compiled a 75.41 stroke average ... opened with a tie for 23rd place as an individual competitor at the Notre Dame Invitational/Central Regional Preview ... fired a 14-over par 224 (74-77-73) at the Irish home tournament ... led virtually all the way in claiming medalist honors in a 75-player field at the John Dallio Memorial Invitational as an individual golfer (ND did not compete as a team for the event) ... shot a career-low three-under par 213 (72-67-74), with his second-round 67 also setting a personal best and matching the fourth-lowest round in school history ... was rewarded with spot in Notre Dame's starting lineup for Windon Memorial Classic, where he tied for 74th place at 20-over par 233 (77-78-78) ... got starting nod in first two spring tournaments ... tied for 19th place at NOKIA Sugar Bowl Tulane Invitational at 10-over par 226 (78-77-71); also came up big in team playoff, converting critical sand save for par on first extra hole to help Irish win title ... shared 34th-place honors at Irish Spring Invitational after firing a 21-over par 237 (71-80-86) ... also competed as an individual in dual match vs. #11 TCU, carding a nine-over 149 (75-74).

SUMMER 2004: Advanced to match play finals of the Connecticut State Amateur Championship at Fairfield, Conn., falling to Steve Velardi 4 and 2 ... qualified for match play at the North and South Amateur Championship in Pinehurst, N.C., but dropped his first-round match to Greg Pieczynski, 1-up.

AS A SOPHOMORE: Earned a second monogram after finishing third on the team with a career-low 75.78 stroke average ... posted a 76.38 scoring mark in spring season, also third on the squad ... led team with three top-five finishes, including two in the spring ... wound up second on team with seven rounds of par or better ... had second consecutive trip to the SMU/Stonebridge Invitational in October, following up last year's fifth-place finish with a career-best fourth-place showing this year ... carded a two-under par 214 (68-72-74), with his opening round serving as the best 18-hole score of his career ... helped the Irish win the SMU/Stonebridge Invitational, their first tourney title since 1999 ... came back the next week to place 23rd at The Tillinghast, shooting a 13-over par 153 (83-70) as Notre Dame finished second ... wound up tied with teammate Eric Deutsch for 54th place at The Nelson Invitational, posting a six-over par 219 (74-71-74) ... led all Irish golfers with a tie for fourth place at the Rice Intercollegiate, carding a two-over 218 that included a second-round 68 ... Notre Dame wound up tied for second in the team scoring, five shots behind Texas-San Antonio ... struggled a bit during the month of March, but rebounded nicely in April, capped off with a tie for third place (218, +8) at the BIG EAST Championship, helping the Irish win their first conference title since 1997 ... earned all-BIG EAST accolades for the second consecutive year.

AS A FRESHMAN: Steadily improved throughout his rookie campaign, earning a monogram after competing in nine tournaments ... posted 75.18 stroke average in spring, second-best on team ... part of 2002-03 freshman class that was rated first in the nation by Golfstat's Freshman Class Impact Rankings after the fall of 2002 ... tied for 30th place at the Big Red Classic, firing a three-over par 147 (77-70) ... second on team and tied for 45th in field at Conrad Rehling Invitational, carding a 13-over par 226 (74-77-75) ... placed seventh at the BIG EAST Championship with a 16-over par 226 (76-73-77), helping the Irish to their second consecutive runner-up finish ... placement earned him all-BIG EAST honors, one of four Notre Dame players to be so recognized ... played in all five fall tournaments with a 76.40 average in 15 rounds of play ... had 11 of his 15 rounds count to team scoring ... finished 75th with a 36-over par 249 (82-83-84) at Inverness Intercollegiate Invitational in Toledo, Ohio ... was second among Irish golfers and tied Gavin Ferlic for 46th at the Kansas Invitational with a 12-over par 228 (75-79-74) ... tied for 76th at the Fresno Lexus Golf Classic with a 54-hole total of 233 (76-75-82) ... had his best outing at the SMU/Stonebridge Invitational in McKinney, Texas, where he fired a three-under par 213 (69-73-71) for fifth-place tie ... opening round three-under par 69 was his top collegiate round and tied for third-best score among Irish golfers in the fall ... 54-hole mark of 213 tied for team's best three rounds of the fall ... tied for 52nd to close the fall at The Nelson Invitational at Stanford, logging a 10-over par 223 (71-78-74).

PREP AND PERSONAL: Four-year letterwinner at St. Andrews High School in Boca Raton, Fla. ... joins high school teammate Federico Salazar with the Irish ... team captain as a junior and senior ... helped St. Andrews to conference championship as a junior and senior and a regional championship in 2002 ... four-time team MVP ... three-time all-conference and two-time all-city selection ... individually, finished sixth at the Florida State championship in November of 2001 ... was named Palm Beach County player of the year as a senior ... was ranked 54th in the nation in the Golfweek/Ashworth rankings during his senior year ... full name is Thomas T. Balderston ... son of Thomas Balderston ... born February 29, 1984 in Boca Raton, Fla. ... currently enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business while pursuing his degree in finance.