It was a successful trip down to South Florida for Notre Dame, as the Irish captured the Yestingsmeier Match Play championship at Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club in Dade City, Florida, on Monday and Tuesday.
The Irish, who were seeded second in the eight-team field, defeated both DePaul and Ball State on Monday in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the event before defeating Seton Hall in the event’s final round Tuesday.
Freshman Davis Lamb was one of the key components of Notre Dame’s success. Lamb was paired with Pirates senior Kevin O’Brien, and their match was at a draw heading into the 18th hole Tuesday. With the championship on the line, Lamb sank his putt to win the match one up and secure the title for the Irish.
This is Notre Dame’s second win this year in an full-field competition, marking the first time the Irish have secured two such wins in one season since the 2011-2012 team won both a 16-team match play event and the 12-team Big East championship.
Irish head coach Jim Kubinski said he was very pleased with his team’s dominant performance over the weekend.
“Our guys did all the things we’ve asked of them this week,” Kubinski said. “We played with the best focus I’ve seen from this year’s team, a tremendous attitude throughout and high level emotional maturity.”
Kubinski said he was also happy to see every golfer contribute to the team’s victory.
“I’m always impressed with both the game and leadership of senior Blake Barens, and our sophomores Ben [Albin] and Miguel [Delgado] are two of the most intense and invested competitors I’ve coached,” he said. “This week, though, the freshmen really stood out in posting a combined 7-1-1 record in our 4-5-6 lineup positions. Our depth there — the win margins — set us apart this week.”
After winning the event, Kubinski told his team he couldn’t have been any prouder of its performance.
“Beyond the win itself, I was proud of how they competed all three rounds, and really, for how they represented Notre Dame this week,” Kubinski said. “Our guys played with strong resolve and sportsmanship throughout.”
Kubinski said he will look for his golfers to build on this win and continue to improve on their games.
“We just have to maintain the level of focus on every shot and continue to exhibit the emotional maturity throughout the tournaments that led to our championship win down in Tampa,” he said.
The Irish golf team will be back in action February 27-28 in Tucson, Arizona, to compete in the National Invitational Tournament at Omni Tucson National Golf Club.
