Notre Dame will be back in action this weekend despite a car accident Thursday that left Scott Gustafson, one of the team's best players, injured. The team was headed to Bridgman, Mich. to practice on the Lost Dunes Country Club course for the Notre Dame Invitational, the first regular season tournament hosted by the squad in 17 years this weekend.
The field of competitors will attempt to serve as a preview of the NCAA Regionals, with all teams anticipated to qualify for that event playing this weekend, including No. 24 Texas A&M and No. 25 Southern Methodist University. The three-day event will kick off Friday at the Lost Dunes Country Club in Bridgman, Mich., before returning to the Warren Golf course on campus for the 36 holes Saturday and Sunday.
Serving as host should serve as a great advantage for the Irish. Surprisingly, Notre Dame will likely have a much more pronounced advantage at Lost Dunes, where they have played a few times, than at Warren, where they play every day.
"At Lost Dunes, the difficulty lies in the greens, and it takes a lot of time to figure out the greens," Irish assistant coach Chris Whitten said. "Our advantage at Warren should be minimal."
Whitten hopes for good things to come from going up against such strong competition this early in the season, especially coming off Notre Dame's trip to the NCAA Regionals last season.
"Last season was the first postseason [for us] since the mid 1960s," he said. "If we could finish top 5, that would be a huge victory."
Leading the team towards that goal will be sophomore Cole Isban, who qualified as the team's No. 1 for this event. Joining him will be junior Eric Deutsch, sophomore Shane Sigsbee, and freshmen Greg Rodgers and Mike King. King and Sigsbee will be competing in their first tournament as part of the Irish scoring lineup this season, after competing as individuals at an event hosted by Bowling Green last weekend.
Whitten is excited about the progress the team has already shown this season.
"Everyone is working on the right things," he said.
Also, five more members of the Irish squad will compete in the tournament as individuals. Seniors Steve Colinitis and KC Wiseman will lead the group, joined by juniors Tommy Balderston, Mark Baldwin and Daniel Klauer.
Irish coach John Jasinski said Thursday night that it was too early to tell if Gustafson will be out for the season.
Notre Dame will be back in action this weekend despite a car accident Thursday that left Scott Gustafson, one of the team's best players, injured. The team was headed to Bridgman, Mich. to practice on the Lost Dunes Country Club course for the Notre Dame Invitational, the first regular season tournament hosted by the squad in 17 years this weekend.
The field of competitors will attempt to serve as a preview of the NCAA Regionals, with all teams anticipated to qualify for that event playing this weekend, including No. 24 Texas A&M and No. 25 Southern Methodist University. The three-day event will kick off Friday at the Lost Dunes Country Club in Bridgman, Mich., before returning to the Warren Golf course on campus for the 36 holes Saturday and Sunday.
Serving as host should serve as a great advantage for the Irish. Surprisingly, Notre Dame will likely have a much more pronounced advantage at Lost Dunes, where they have played a few times, than at Warren, where they play every day.
"At Lost Dunes, the difficulty lies in the greens, and it takes a lot of time to figure out the greens," Irish assistant coach Chris Whitten said. "Our advantage at Warren should be minimal."
Whitten hopes for good things to come from going up against such strong competition this early in the season, especially coming off Notre Dame's trip to the NCAA Regionals last season.
"Last season was the first postseason [for us] since the mid 1960s," he said. "If we could finish top 5, that would be a huge victory."
Leading the team towards that goal will be sophomore Cole Isban, who qualified as the team's No. 1 for this event. Joining him will be junior Eric Deutsch, sophomore Shane Sigsbee, and freshmen Greg Rodgers and Mike King. King and Sigsbee will be competing in their first tournament as part of the Irish scoring lineup this season, after competing as individuals at an event hosted by Bowling Green last weekend.
Whitten is excited about the progress the team has already shown this season.
"Everyone is working on the right things," he said.
Also, five more members of the Irish squad will compete in the tournament as individuals. Seniors Steve Colinitis and KC Wiseman will lead the group, joined by juniors Tommy Balderston, Mark Baldwin and Daniel Klauer.
Irish coach John Jasinski said Thursday night that it was too early to tell if Gustafson will be out for the season.
