The Irish finished 15th out of 17 teams with a total score of 895 this weekend at the Irish Creek Collegiate Tournament in Kannapolis, N.C. after tallying 297, 299 and 299 in three rounds.
North Carolina and North Caroline State topped the team leaderboard with scores of 859 (282-285-292) and 861 (292-280-289). Irish coach Jim Kubinski said he thought this week would be the one where Irish would put things together, but that was not the case.
"We're not satisfied with our play," Kubinski said. "We're disappointed we didn't post any rounds at par or below. The golf course was a good test but had enough birdie opportunities to yield a few good scores."
Junior Andrew Lane came in first for the Irish and 35th overall, shooting a three-round score of 222 (+9). He remained consistent throughout the tournament, shooting 74 (+3) in each of the three rounds.
"Andrew hit enough greens," said Kubinski. "He just had a tough putting week, which is a rarity for him."
Senior Paul McNamara and junior Niall Platt tied for 47th with a score of 224 (+11). McNamara shot 73 (+2) in his first round, 76 (+5) in his second round, and 75 (+4) in his third round. Platt shot 75 (+5) in his first round, 76 (+5) in his second round, and 73 (+2) in his third round.
Kubinski said he believed Platt played better than his scores indicated.
Freshman Cory Sciupider tied for 64th with a score of 227 (+14) and sophomore Patrick Grahek tied for 81st with a score of 233 (+20).
Kubinski said southern teams like North Carolina and North Carolina State have an edge over the Irish because they have been able to practice outdoors for several weeks and have competed in more tournaments. Kubinski said the Irish will soon reach their desired level of play because the Notre Dame golf course opened last weekend.
"We're still a week or two away from feeling comfortable, Kubinski said . "We'll be fine by Big East."
Kubinski said each golfer has an area or two that needs improvement but that his team functions well as a whole both on and off the green.
"They're not afraid to work at it and their confidence remains high," Kubinski said. "They posted nearly 3.5 team GPA in the fall. They know how to prioritize and make improvements."
The Irish will travel to Iowa City, Iowa to play in the Hawkeye Invitational, their last regular season tournament before the Big East Championships in Orlando Fla. The Irish will tee off Saturday and continue on Sunday at the Finkbine Golf Course.
Contact Meredith Kelly at mkelly29@nd.edu
