After finishing 11th in the Augusta State Invitational in Augusta, Ga., Notre Dame will return to the Midwest to take part in the Boilermaker Invitational Saturday and Sunday in West Lafayette, Ind.
The Irish will look to improve upon their performance last week at the Invitational. Although that tournament had a particularly strong field - featuring seven top-30 teams - Notre Dame is not using that as an excuse for last weekend's result.
"We weren't happy at all with our performance last weekend," freshman Josh Sandman said. "We went in with a game plan, but we didn't execute it."
Despite failing to put together a complete performance so far this spring, the Irish head into this weekend's meet with high expectations.
"We're looking for things to turn around this weekend," Sandman said. "Anything less than a first or second-place finish will be a disappointment for us."
While the field at the Boilermaker Invitational may not be as strong as the one at Augusta State, it contains some teams that will force Notre Dame to play very well.
Multiple Big Ten teams like Minnesota - currently ranked No. 1 in the Midwest Region - will challenge the Irish this weekend.
Notre Dame is currently ranked No. 10 in the Midwest District. District rankings are based on head-to-head records, so by finishing ahead of its fellow Midwest District competitors in this weekend's tournament, Notre Dame would pick up valuable wins and boost its ranking.
The team will face a challenging course when it arrives at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex. The Kampen Course is 7,333 yards long with a slope rating of 145.
"It's a real tough course, and it will be a good test for us," Sandman said. "I don't expect to see many low scores this weekend."
