Men's Golf
Irish Tie For First At Legends Of Indiana

Men's golf posts first back-to-back first-place finishes in team history.

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Oct. 6, 1999

FRANKLIN, Ind. - Notre Dame sophomore Steve Ratay (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey HS) held on to capture medalist honors while the Irish finished tied for first with Miami of Ohio in the 16-team field, following final-round action Tuesday at the annual Legends of Indiana Intercollegiate, held at the par-72, 7,044-yard Legends of Indiana Golf Course.

The final 16-team standings mark the first time in the history of the Notre Dame men's golf program that an Irish squad has finished first in back-to-back tournaments. Notre Dame opened the 1999 fall season by winning the 24-team Air Force Invitational (Sept. 17-19), with a school-record score of four-over 868.

The strong start provides a huge boost to Notre Dame's hopes for securing the program's first appearance in the NCAA Championship since 1966. The Irish were in the running for NCAA bids during each of the past two seasons, but had to rally in the sprain after sub-par fall performances.

Ratay-who opened with rounds of 71 and 70 on Monday-closed with a 73 on Tuesday for a 214 total, edging Marshall's Aaron Williams (71-71-71) by a single stroke to finish atop the 80-player field. Ratay's two-under 214 total represents the fourth-best 54-hole score in team history and marks just the fourth time that an Irish golfer has finished under par during a 54-hole intercollegiate event.

Current senior Jeff Connell holds the 54-hole scoring record (four-under 209 at the Marshall Invitational in the spring of 1998) while Connell also shot a four-under 212 at the Kentucky Invitational last spring. Current senior captain Todd Vernon matched that score earlier this fall at the Air Force Invitational (each of the above efforts are tied for the best Irish 54-hole score, in relation to par).

Notre Dame opened with rounds of 296-294 on Monday but trailed Louisville (298-291) by a single stroke. The Irish then closed with a strong round of 283 in the play-five, count-four format while Louisville dropped to fifth with a closing 294. Miami (302-293-283) used a strong final round to forge the first-place tie.

Irish junior Alex Kent, playing just his second career tournament with the Irish, provided a big boost for the Irish with a final-round 69, placing the brother of former Irish great Willie Kent in a tie for sixth with a 217 total (72-76-69). Vernon, who finished third at Air Force, tied for ninth with a 218 total (76-71-71) while junior Adam Anderson (77-77-75) rounded out the Irish continent.

Notre Dame's first-place finish was more impressive due to the limited contributions by Connell, with the Irish essentially playing as a four-man team. Connell, who withdrew from the first round after aggravating a wrist injury, returned for the second and third rounds but did not count to the team score, after recording rounds of 78 and 80 (his career average is 76.0).

Ratay posted Notre Dame's fifth medalist finish in an intercollegiate tournament during the last three seasons, spanning 22 tournaments. He is the fourth different Irish golfer to win a tournament since the fall of 1997. Notre Dame golfers also have finished as runner-up at six different tournaments since the fall of 1997, with an impressive total of six different players posting first or second-place finishes during that span (see notes below).

Miami technically was awarded the team title, with the tie broken by fifth-man score. Miami's Ryan Lagergren shot 78-73-77 to best Connell's overall (N.A.) and third-round score.

NOTES

  • Notre Dame's 878 total (+14) ties for fifth in the Irish record book and is the third-best score in relation to par, trailing the recent four-over 868 at Air Force and the nine-over 873 at the Legends of Intercollegiate in the fall of 1997.

  • Notre Dame's third-round 288 (even) marks just the eighth time in team history that the Irish have shot par or better during intercollegiate competition, with all but one of those rounds taking place during the past three years.

  • Ratay posted the 21st medalist finish in Notre Dame men's golf history and the 11th of the 1990s.

  • Just three previous Irish golfers have won an intercollegiate tournament with larger fields than the 1999 Legends' 80-player event: Willie Kent won the 108-player Golden Ocala Invitational in the spring of 1999 (138), Bryan Weeks won the 90-player Butler Spring Invitational in the spring of 1998 (142) and Chris Dayton won the 90-player Indiana Intercollegiate in the fall of 1991 (142).

  • Other Irish medalist efforts during the past three years include: Vernon's win at the 45-player BIG EAST Championship in the fall of 1997 (141) and Willie Kent's share of first at the 66-player Iowa Intercollegiate in the fall for 1998 (216).

  • The six runner-up finishes during the past three years include two each by 1999 graduate Brad Hardin, Connell and Willie Kent.

  • Vernon leads Notre Dame during the 1999 fall with a 71.66 stroke average, followed by Ratay (72.17),Kent (73.17), Anderson (76.0) and Connell (76.0).

  • Ratay and Vernon have counted to the team score in all six rounds this fall, followed by Kent (5), Anderson (5) and Connell (2).

  • Vernon dropped his career stroke average from 75.66 to 75.57, remaining fifth-best in recorded team history (since 1954).

  • Connell remains sixth on that list (76.00).

  • Vernon has counted to the Irish four-man score in 72 of 83 career rounds-third-most at Notre Dame during the 1990s (Weeks counted in 80 rounds while '97 grad Brian Donohoe counted 77 times).

  • Connell has counted in 57 of 69 career rounds, good for seventh all-time at Notre Dame (Chris O'Connell counted in 60.5 rounds from 1991-95).

  • As a team, Notre Dame is averaging an impressive four-man score of 291.0 (72.75 per counted score), compared to a 295.50 average in 1998 at the Air Force Invitational and Legends of Invitational.

  • Ratay played for the Irish in several spring of 1999 tournaments before opening the '99 fall season with an impressive 11th-place finish at Air Force (219).

  • Vernon led through two rounds in that event before finishing third, at 212 (he an Connell share the Irish record for best 54-hole score in relation to par).

  • Ratay did not play at the Legends in the fall of 1998, when the Irish finished a disappointing ninth (893), and had no previous experience on the course prior to this year's event.

    FINAL TEAM STANDINGS (54 holes): 1. Notre Dame 296-294-288/878, Miami, Ohio 302-293-283/878, 3. Eastern Kentucky 304-295-283/882, Indiana 302-297-294/882, 5. Louisville 293-291-294/883, Wisconsin 300-294-289/883, 7. Kentucky 308-289-288/885, 8. Eastern Michigan 304-292-290/886, Ohio University 292-303-291/886, 10. Cincinnati 303-298-286/887, 11. Marshall 313-293-282/888, 12. Western Kentucky 303-304-294/906, 13. Marquette 304-304-294/906, 14. Georgetown 308-306-297/911, 15. Xavier 310-312-289/911, 16. Ball State 316-307-293/916.

    TOP INDIVIDUALS (of 80): 1. Steve Ratay (ND) 71-70-73/214, 2. Aaron Williams (MAR) 73-71-71/215, 3. Eric Herberth (OU) 70-76-70/216, Adam Speirs(MIA) 73-72-71/216, Brandon Tucker (EKU) 73-74-69/216, 6. Jim Herman (CIN) 75-73-69/217, Chris Campbell (LOU) 72-72-73/217, Alex Kent (ND) 72-76-69/217, 9. Todd Vernon (ND) 76-71-71/218, Ron Layman (KY) 75-73-70/218, Andreas Huber (GU) 72-73-73/218, Jeff Ritchey (MIA) 77-75-66/218, A.T. Spires (OU) 71-75-72/218, Drew Meyer (IU) 72-75-71/218.

    OTHER NOTRE DAME SCORES: 54. Adam Anderson 77-77-75/229, Jeff Connell WD-80-78.


     

     

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