The Irish are currently tied for seventh out of 12 teams at the Gopher Invitational after one day and two rounds of playing.
The Irish have a total score of 581, with a score of 289 for their first round and 292 for their second round, which puts them at 13-over par as a team.
Irish freshman Matt Rushton is tied for fifth place, with a score of 140. He had a first round score of 67 and a second round score of 73. Irish coach Jim Kubinski said Rushton is part of a group of very talented freshmen who have shown great maturity.
Kubinski said he is satisfied with Rushton's effort after a great couple of rounds.
"[Rushton] made some birdies in a row near the end of the 1st round. He played nearly as well in the afternoon, too, but didn't make as many putts," Kubinski said. "I'm proud of his effort today. He stayed focused throughout and very patient."
As for Rushton's final few rounds, Kubinski said he believes there are too many holes and too many competitors to predict finishes.
Kubinski also said senior Niall Platt played very solidly and gave himself chances throughout the day. Platt is at even par with a score of 142, shooting 71 in both the second and third round. He is currently tied for 10th.
The Irish will tee off early tomorrow morning, and Kubinski said they have a good chance to move into the top five. He also said their goal is to give their team a chance to win in the final round.
Although the Irish have just joined the ACC, Kubinski said there are not any regular season opponents in their schedule. Their lone opportunity to play fellow ACC teams is at the conference championship in North Carolina in April.
The Irish are currently playing at the Windsong Farm Golf Club in Independence, Minn. Kubinski said Windsong has a challenging layout and is a fun course to play on.
"A low score is there means you're on your game," Kubinski said. "It's a challenge if you're just that little bit off. Certainly the wind made scoring tougher this morning, which makes Matt's round that much more impressive."
The Irish will wrap up play today.
Contact Meredith Kelly at mkelly29@nd.edu
