Before the Irish teed off at the CordeValle Classic in San Martin, Calif. Monday, Irish coach Jim Kubinski said the field was tougher than any his team had seen all season.
And unfortunately for the Irish, the competition in the event did not turn out to be any easier than it had seemed on paper.
Despite recording a season-low total score of five-over-par 869, the Irish finished in 11th place out of the 17-team field - 47 strokes behind the winner, Stanford. The Irish did, however, manage to beat a top-25 opponent, finishing five shots ahead of No. 22 TCU.
Senior co-captain Cole Isban led the way for the Irish and finished tied for 19th place with a three-under-par 213. Isban, a senior All-America candidate, also fired a career-best 66 during second round action Monday.
One event after he tied for 10th place in the Prestige at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif., sophomore Josh Sandman was again steady as he finished tied for 25th place at one-under-par 215. Sandman has now placed 25th or better in all four Irish events this season.
Rounding out the lineup for Notre Dame were junior Eddie Peckels, senior co-captain Adam Gifford and junior Greg Rodgers.
In his first event as a member of the Irish top five this season, Peckels tied for 50th place with a three-over-par 219.
Gifford shot an eight-over-par 224 and Rodgers finished with a score of 16-over-par 232.
The next and final event of the fall season for the Irish will be the inaugural Aloha Purdue Collegiate Invitational Nov. 22-23. The tournament will be held at the Kiahuna Golf Club in Poipu, Hawaii.
It will also mark the first time the Irish have visited Hawaii in the 77-year history of the golf program.
