With this week’s Folds of Honor Collegiate, both the men’s and women’s Notre Dame golf teams competed simultaneously for the first time this season. The men opened their campaign, while the women looked to build on an 11th-place outing at the Boilermaker Classic. For both teams, the competition ran from Monday through Wednesday at the American Dunes Golf Clip in Grand Haven, Michigan.
The Notre Dame men’s team started its season with a fifth-place finish based on an 11-over par score of 863. Sophomore Jacob Modleski, one of Notre Dame’s top returning golfers, paced the Irish in a field packed with strong competitors. Modleski finished in fourth place overall, shooting a 207 that positioned him six under par. Three additional Irish golfers joined him inside the top 30. Fellow sophomore Rocco Salvitti took 23rd with a 219 (+6), junior Nate Stevens claimed 26th at 220 (+7) and sophomore Christopher Bagnall ended in 30th with a 221 (+8). Freshman Mike Qiu, competing in his first collegiate event, wrapped up the Irish scoring with a 37th-place 223 (+10).
Next week, the Irish men will head to the Great White North for the Canadian Collegiate Invitational. The first Division I men’s college event to take place in Canada, the tournament field will feature Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Penn State, Rutgers and Washington State in addition to the Irish. Öviinbyrd Golf Club, located in the marshy terrain of MacTier, Ontario, will host the event Monday and Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Irish women continued their season with a 10th-place score of 916 (+52) at the Folds of Honor Collegiate. Head coach Caroline Powers Ellis praised her team’s resilience, but mentioned a need to clean up miscues on a demanding course. The event previewed a big part of the Irish program’s future, as freshman Bridget Wilkie led the team in 26th place with a score of 225 (+9). Another freshman, Maddy Bante, tied with senior Maya Hunter in 41st place with a score of 231 (+15). Senior Montgomery Ferreira (45th place) and freshman Faustine Errecase (72nd place) filled out Notre Dame’s group of competitors.
Looking ahead, the Irish will take a week and a half off before heading to Lansing, Michigan, for the Mary Fossum Invitational. Held at Forest Akers West Golf Course and hosted by Michigan State, the event will cover Sept. 22-23.
