April 7, 2000
HUNTINGTON, W.V. - The Notre Dame men's golf team stands in 10th
place out of 20 teams at the Marshall Invitational, following two rounds of
action Friday at the par-71, 6,446-yard Guyan Golf and Country Club. The
Irish head into Sunday's final round just five strokes out of fourth place
and nine behind second-place Miami of Ohio.
Sophomore Steve Ratay led the Irish on the first day with rounds of 73-74,
good for a 147 total and a share of 22nd in the 103-player field. Senior
Jeff Connell-who averaged 72.3 strokes per round in his previous two
appearances with the Irish at Guyan, including a runner-up finish in the
'98 Marshall Invitational-posted rounds of 73-75 on Friday for a 148 total.
Senior captain Todd Vernon (75-75) and juniors Alex Kent (73-78) and Adam
Anderson (79-75) rounded out the Irish contingent.
Notre Dame posted a solid opening round of 10-over 294 in the morning play
before adding a 295 in the afternoon, for a 592 total.
Michigan holds an eight-stroke lead on Miami in the team competition, after
posting matching rounds of 288. Geoff Lound of Illinois (69-70) is the
individual leader, one stroke better than Iowa's Matt Stutzman.
Notre Dame-which placed fourth at the Marshall Invitational in 1999-heads
into the final round just one stroke behind Eastern Kentucky, three back of
Michigan State and four behind the host school, while three teams are tied
for fourth at 585.
Ratay sits just three strokes out of a top-10 finish and is only four shots
back of fifth-place Scott Hayes of Michigan.
TEAM STANDINGS: 1. Michigan 288-288/576, 2. Miami, Fla. 288-296/584, 3.
Iowa 294-291/585, 4. Ohio State 293-295/588, Indiana 297-291/588, Ohio
290-298/588, 7. Marshall 298-291/589, 8. Michigan State 301-289/590, 9.
Eastern Kentucky 297-295/592, 10. Notre Dame 294-299/593, 11. Wisconsin
285-312/597, 13. Northern Illinois 304-297/601, 14. Toledo 299-304/603,
15. Eastern Michigan 301-303/604, Cincinnati 299-306/604, 17. Kentucky
298-307/605, 18 .Western Kentucky 307-301/608, 19. Louisville
302-311/613, Illinois 305-308/613.
TOP INDIVIDUALS (of 103): 1. Geoff Lound (ILL) 69-70/139, 2. Matt Stutzman
(IOWA) 70-70/140, 3. Michael Harris (MICH) 67-75/142, Eric Herberth
(OHIO) 71-71/142, 5. Scott Hayes (MICH) 72-761/143.
NOTRE DAME SCORES: 22. Steve Ratay 73-74/147, 31. Jeff Connell 73-75/148,
45. Todd Vernon 75-75/150, 52. Alex Kent 73-78/151, 71. Adam Anderson
79-75/154.
