The team, led by head coach John Handrigan, is coming off of a fall season that included two victories: the Canadian Collegiate Invitational and the Fighting Irish Classic.
The Irish shot 871 (+7) throughout the two-day invitational. Initially, the tournament was lined up to be played from Monday to Wednesday, but the forecasted weather on Wednesday moved round three to be played immediately after round two.
The Irish’s performance was inspired by junior Nate Stevens. During round two, Stevens shot a hole in one on the 14th hole. The junior’s moment of brilliance helped spark him to finish with a score of 69 (-3) on the round. Stevens followed up with a 70 (-2) to cap off his day and ended up shooting a team-low 213 (-3), earning him a tie for 14th-place individually.
Jacob Modleski followed closely behind. Modleski continued upon his stellar fall season in which he finished at or below par at all seven tournaments with a score of 214 (-2), leading Notre Dame in round one with a team-low of 72 (E). As a sophomore, Modleski has proven to be one of the most consistent golfers nationwide and earned himself a spot on the Ben Hogan Award Watchlist prior to the start of the spring season.
The Irish’s performance was rounded out with the help of sophomores Christopher Bagnall and Rocco Salvitti and freshman Mike Qiu. The trio shot scores of 222 (+6), 224 (+8) and 227 (+11), respectively.
Notre Dame’s 10th-place finish was two strokes ahead of Clemson and 21 ahead of Navy. Florida State ruled victorious by shooting 838 (-26), steering just ahead of Alabama, the frontrunner headed into the final round.
Outside of the Irish’s five starters, junior Calen Sanderson competed individually at the event. Sanderson posted a final score of 78 (+6) in his lone round.
Notre Dame will enjoy well-deserved rest before heading out to San Diego, California, for the Lamkin Invitational from March 10-11. The Irish will participate in three more invitationals thereafter before postseason play officially begins. The team is currently ranked 24th in the country, but with strong performances in the back nine of the season they have the chance to move into the top 20.
