April 9, 2006
Final Results from Boilermaker Invitational in PDF Format
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Notre Dame men's golf team fired the second-best round of the day with a five-over par 293 on Sunday to lock up a solid third-place finish at the 12-team Boilermaker Invitational, which was contested on the Kampen Course (par 72/7,083 yards) at Purdue's Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Ind. En route to their best team finish of the season (and fourth top-five placement of the campaign), the Irish completed the two-day event with a score of 36-over par 900 (307-300-293), winding up 18 shots behind tournament champion Indiana, and only four strokes back of second-place Purdue. The bronze-medal placement is the best for Notre Dame at a tourney hosted by Purdue since 1988, when the Irish had a similar third-place showing in a smaller eight-team field.
In addition, Notre Dame added two more wins over ranked opponents to its seasonal resume, outdistancing No. 16 Minnesota (12th place, 925) and 23rd-ranked Northwestern (sixth place, 910). The Irish now have defeated six Golfweek Top 25 squads in 2005-06 (three in the past two tournaments alone) and have defeated 11 ranked teams since head coach Jim Kubinski arrived on campus in January 2005. Furthermore, Notre Dame went 6-2 against other Midwest District clubs at the Boilermaker Invitational (most notably ousting No. 1 Minnesota, No. 3 Northwestern and No. 5 Louisville), improving to 16-9 (.640) against the rest of the district this season.
Junior tri-captain
Cole Isban (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) and freshman
Josh Sandman (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) each collected a share of second place on Sunday, despite varying final-round results. Isban came into the day two shots off the lead, but couldn't make up any ground and ended up with a four-over par 220 (74-72-74), still earning his second top-five finish of the year and sixth of his career. Meanwhile, Sandman charged hard from back in the pack with the second-best score of the day, a final-round 69, to match Isban's 220 total (77-74-69). Sandman's 69 is the lowest round by an Irish freshman since
Greg Rodgers shot a similar score at the 2004 Windon Memorial Classic, while Sandman's runner-up finish is the best by a Notre Dame rookie since
Scott Gustafson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) placed second at the 2003 BIG EAST Conference Championship.
Now a senior tri-captain, Gustafson ended up tied for 30th place this weekend with a 15-over par 231 (80-76-75). Fellow senior tri-captain Mark Baldwin (Laconia, N.H./New Hampton Prep) was among a five-way tie in 38th place at 17-over par 233 (80-78-75), while junior Adam Gifford (Plymouth, Ind./Plymouth) wrapped up his first tournament of the season in a 50th-place deadlock at 21-over par 237 (76-83-78).
Notre Dame will take the Easter weekend off before getting back on the course April 23-25 for the BIG EAST Championship, which will be held in Dade City, Fla., on the South Course at the Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club. The Irish are the two-time defending conference champions and have won five league titles since joining the BIG EAST in 1995-96.
-- ND --
Boilermaker Invitational
April 8-9, 2006 -- West Lafayette, Ind.
Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex/Kampen Course (par 72/7,083 yards)
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (54-hole totals): 1. Indiana 882 (301-287-294); 2. Purdue 896 (310-288-298); 3. NOTRE DAME 900 (307-300-293); 4. Louisville 905 (308-300-297); 5. Toledo 908 (312-304-292); 6. Northwestern 910 (306-308-296); 7. Wisconsin 911 (300-312-299); 8. Michigan 916 (308-308-300); 9. Iowa State 917 (307-316-294); 10. Wichita State 920 (310-307-303); 11. Missouri 923 (318-303-302); 12. Minnesota 925 (311-307-307).
TOP FOUR INDIVIDUALS PLUS NOTRE DAME GOLFERS (of 62): 1. Jorge Campillo (Indiana) 212 (74-70-68); 2. (tie) Cole Isban (Notre Dame) 220 (74-72-74), Josh Sandman (Notre Dame) 220 (77-74-69) and Drew Allenspach (Indiana) 220 (75-71-74); 30. (tie) Scott Gustafson (Notre Dame) 231 (80-76-75); 38. (tie) Mark Baldwin (Notre Dame) 233 (80-78-75); 50. (tie) Adam Gifford (Notre Dame) 237 (76-83-78).
