As the fall season winds down, building momentum and continuity for the spring season are paramount for Notre Dame. The Irish took a step toward that goal Oct. 17 and 18 at the Invitational at Kiawah Island at the Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, S.C. Notre Dame finished seventh in a 12-team field with a +29 mark, while Florida ran away with the tournament, finishing at -6.
"I don't think our team played as well as they could have," Irish coach Jim Kubinski said. "But the good news is that we're right where we need to be NCAA-wise heading into the off-season. The fall has seen a lot of ups and downs for us, but I don't think this tournament sets us back."
As has been the story for much of the year, the Irish struggled to put together a complete team effort in South Carolina, the kind of effort Kubinski said is necessary to compete for championships.
"We can't have just two or three guys shoot low rounds," Kubinski said. "We need that consistency from everybody. I have a lot of confidence in our guys. They're much too solid for it not to come together."
Junior Max Scodro led the Irish in the individual standings, and finished in a tie for seventh place with an even par three rounds. With the oftentimes frustrating inconsistencies of the Irish, Scodro has been the rock all year for Notre Dame.
"I think Max [Scodro] has finished near the top of every event we've played all season," Kubinski said. "So it was no surprise to see him perform well at Kiawah."
Junior Paul McNamara and sophomore Niall Platt finished 23rd and 27th respectively for the Irish.
The event yielded the tournament debut of sophomore Andrew Lane. The format of the invitational allowed for a six-man field, and Kubinski inserted the sophomore to improve the team's depth and give Lane playing experience.
"It was good for Lane to get some tournament action," Kubinski said. "He would be the first to tell you that he can play better, but I think that goes for all of our team. We're very confident in our starting five, but we're always looking to develop our golfers."
The Irish now turn to their last competition on the fall calendar, the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate in Dallas, which begins Oct. 31.
Contact Conor Kelly at
ckelly17@nd.edu
