Sports
Irish golf teams preparing for postseason with early April tournaments
Andrew McGuinness | Friday, March 31, 2023
April is a massive month for all spring sports teams. And that is certainly the case for both the Notre Dame men’s and women’s golf teams. Both will compete in the ACC Championships later this month, with aspirations of reaching the NCAA Championship as well. But there is still work to do before the postseason begins.
Men’s golf has its penultimate event of the regular season from April 1 to 2. The Irish will compete in the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational at Forest Hills Golf Club in Rockford, Illinois. Notre Dame had success in the event last year, finishing fourth with a team score of 15 under par. Graduate student Andrew O’Leary turned in a strong 72-72-69 performance across the three rounds, finishing tied for 14th individually. Senior Palmer Jackson wasn’t far behind, going 70-71-75 and placing in a tie for 23rd. Jackson, a 2020-21 Ping D1 All-Region selection, will be a key figure for the Irish down the stretch. Junior Angelo Marcon recorded Notre Dame’s lowest single-round score with a 67 to begin the tournament.
Notre Dame’s -15 overall score was its second-lowest total last season, which concluded with a top-five finish in the ACC tournament. The Irish will have some fierce competition in this year’s field, which includes No. 6 Illinois and No. 19 Georgia Southern. After this weekend concludes, the Irish have one more competition before the regular season concludes. That’s the Thunderbird Invitational, hosted by Arizona State at Papago Golf Club in Phoenix, Arizona, from April 14 to 15.
Meanwhile, the women’s team is gearing up for its final event before the regular season, the Chattanooga Classic. The tournament takes place from April 2 to 4 and is being held at Council Fire Golf Club in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Irish enter the event coming off an eighth-place finish at the Florida State Matchup, held at Seminole Legacy Club in Tallahassee, Florida. Senior Lauren Beaudreau, graduate student Caroline Curtis and sophomore Montgomery Ferreira led the way, each tying for 33rd. Curtis registered Notre Dame’s low round of the competition with a 73 in the middle round, powering through a weather delay in doing so.
Notre Dame’s +72 overall score was its third-highest of the season, but the showing came on a very challenging course. The Irish are just a few tournaments removed from a season-best +13 in the Colombia Classic, which was good enough for a top-five finish in that event. The Irish will not be in action again until the ACC Championships from April 13 to 16 at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina. A veteran Irish team comprised almost entirely of upperclassmen will look to lean on their experience for a strong finish to the season.
