Oct. 18, 1999
LOUISVILLE, Kty. - Notre Dame sophomore Steve Ratay (Arlington
Heights, Ill./John Hersey HS) continued his torrid play by firing an
even-par 72 while the Irish men's golf team concluded first-round action
just seven shots out of the lead, following Monday's opening-day action at
the Louisville Intercollegiate.
Ratay - who has shot par or better in five of his last seven
rounds - stands tied for fifth in the 90-player field, after firing an
even-par 72 at the 6,850-yard Persimmon Ridge Golf Club. Irish junior Alex
Kent is tied for 11th after an opening-round 74 while junior Adam Anderson
(77) and senior Jeff Connell (78) also factored into the team score in the
play-five, count-four format.
Senior captain Todd Vernon carded a first-round 79, representing
just the 12th time in 87 career rounds that he has not counted to the team
score.
Notre Dame heads into Tuesday's second and final round just five
shots behind leader Morehead State, which posted a 294 team score on
Monday. Notre Dame's 301 total leaves the Irish just one stroke behind
Western Kentucky and Cincinnati (300) and three back of Ohio University
(298).
Kentucky's Wes Furnish sits atop the individual leader board, after
an opening-round 69. Morehead State's Ben Hensley (71) stands in second
place, with Marquette's Sam O'Dell and DePaul's Ryan Fisher tied with Ratay
for fifth.
Ratay has played 10 rounds for the Irish this fall (seven at
par-72, three at par-71) and stands just one total stroke over par for the
season, with a 71.8 stroke average. He has shot 73 or lower in nine of his
10 rounds, including two sub-par and four even-par rounds.
Notre Dame is looking to conclude its fall season with another
strong finish, after winning the Air Force Invitational, tying for first at
the Legends of Indiana Intercollegiate and placing third at the Xavier
Invitational.
Ratay's fall has included an 11th-place finish at Air Force
(70-72-77/219), a first-place showing at The Legends (71-70-73/214) and a
fifth-place finish at Xavier (71-70-72/213).
TEAM STANDINGS (18 holes of 36): 1. Morehead State 294, 2. Ohio
University 298, 3. Cincinnati 300, Western Kentucky 300, 5. Notre Dame
301, 6. DePaul 303, 7. Kentucky 304, 8. Louisville 306, Marshall 306,
10. Marquette 307, Illinois 307, Saint Louis 307, Ball State 307, 14.
Akron 310, 15. Eastern Kentucky 314, Youngstown State 314, 17. Murray
State 318, 18. Wisconsin 321.
TOP INDIVIDUALS (of 90): 1. Wes Furnish (KY) 69, 2. Ben Hensley
(MORE) 71, 3. Sam O'Dell (MAR) 72, Ryan Fisher (DEP) 72, Steve Ratay
(ND) 72, 6. Ryan Lilly (CIN) 73, Brad Morris (EKY) 73, Jeremy Grantham
(MUR) 73, Mark Wentz (MARQ) 73, Eric Mason (WKY) 73.
OTHER NOTRE DAME SCORES: 11. Alex Kent 74, 39. Adam Anderson 77,
46. Jeff Connell 78, 54. Todd Vernon 79.
