Sports
Irish golf competes in midweek tournaments
Matthew Crow | Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Notre Dame men’s and women’s golf competed in a pair of two-day events on Monday and Tuesday, with both Irish teams battling to middle-of-the-pack finishes. Two weeks after their previous outing at the Gopher Invitational, the Irish men traveled to Northwestern and placed 11th at the Windon Memorial Classic. Meanwhile, the women were in action for the second straight week, finishing eighth at the Glass City Invitational in Toledo.
The Notre Dame men have now played in three tournaments this fall and have been led by a different golfer each time. In their season opener at the Folds of Honor Collegiate, the Irish were paced by senior Angelo Marcon. At the Gopher Invitational in Maple Plain, Minnesota, freshman Jacob Modleski was the standout.
This week, it was sophomore Nate Stevens who posted the Irish’s top score in all three rounds. Stevens was the model of consistency, shooting 69 (two under par) in every round. That effort carried him into a tie for 14th overall in a competitive 15-team field.
Beyond Stevens, it was a very balanced performance from Notre Dame. Their next three best performers – graduate student Palmer Jackson, sophomore Calen Sanderson and freshman Rocco Salvitti – all tied for 53rd with a total score of 214. Sanderson improved throughout the event, posting scores of 74-71-69. Jackson and Salvitti matched each other shot-for-shot, with both players scoring 70-70-74 across the three rounds.
Modleski rounded out the Irish team with a score of 217 that put him in a tie for 69th. Between rounds of 73 and 75, he shot an impressive 69 in the second round, matching the top single-round score of any Notre Dame player during the tournament. Marcon, who competed as an individual and did not contribute to the Irish team score, also tied for 53rd at 214.
After a first round of 282, Notre Dame sat in a three-way tie for tenth with Minnesota and Marquette. They posted a strong score of 278 in round two but closed out the event with 286. That pushed their total score to 846, good for 11th place and just six strokes back from eighth.
The Notre Dame women’s performance at the Glass City Invitational was nearly the inverse of the men. The Irish struggled through the opening round but responded with improved showings in the final two.
Freshman Mimi Burton was out in front for the Irish in just her third-ever tournament at Notre Dame. Burton posted the team’s top scores in the first two rounds, shooting 73 and 70, before falling back slightly with 77 in round three. That brought her final score of 220, putting her in a tie for 13th overall. Graduate student Lauren Beaudreau was also in the top 20, shooting 77-74-73 to steadily improve to her final position, tied for 18th.
Next up for the Irish were senior Chloe Schiavone and junior Montgomery Ferreira, with both playing on a similar trajectory through the competition. Each got off to a slow start. Schiavone shot 86 in the first round to Ferreira’s 85. They each played at a much higher level over the remainder of the tournament. Schiavone improved by 13 strokes to shoot 73 in the second round before adding 77 in round three and finishing tied for 50th. Ferreira totaled 77 in each of the last two rounds to place 55th. Graduate student Nina Rissi closely followed in a tie for 58th after scoring 75-82-84. Freshman Alexsandra Lapple, playing as an individual, also tied for 58th.
Notre Dame totaled 310 in the opening round, placing them ninth out of ten teams. A second-round score of 294 pushed them up the ranks before they ultimately finished in eighth. Their 304 in the final round pushed their total score to 908. The Irish placed closely behind in-state rival Indiana (905) and ACC competitor Miami (904).
The Irish men will return to play on Oct. 1-2 to host the Fighting Irish Classic at their own Warren Golf Course. The Notre Dame women will be back on the road on Oct. 6-8 to play in the Evie Odom Invitational at Princess Anne Country Club in Virginia Beach.
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