Ratay, Irish prepare to usher in `golden age' of golf
By KEVIN BERCHOU
Sports Writer
Steve Ratay is well aware of the opportunity that lies before him. Every drive ripped down the center of the fairway is played with purpose. Every putt is sunk with a singular goal in mind. Every year since 1966, the Irish have been left out in the cold during the NCAA Tournament. If Notre Dame's sophomore sensation has it his way, this year will be different.
Ratay wants to help usher in the "golden age" of Notre Dame golf, and he sees no better time than the present to do so. An awesome compilation of talent coupled with the anticipated opening of the championship caliber Warren Golf Course poses the chance for the Irish to thrust themselves into national prominence.
Falling out of nowhere
Almost out of nowhere, the Irish scored the best fall campaign in school history, posting an aggregate team score a full seven strokes lower than last year's team record total.
"Everyone contributed," noted Ratay. "We had everyone play well. We all wanted to win."
The squad that captured three first place finishes in four fall events yielding an unprecedented national ranking is led by seniors Jeff Connell and Todd Vernon, both of whom played brilliantly during the fall. Vernon boasts the second lowest scoring average in Irish history (75.48), and his 66, scored earlier in the season, represents the best round by an Irish golfer in 37 years.
In opening the fall slate with a win in the 24-team Air Force Invitational, Notre Dame stunned the NCAA golfing community and raised expectations for the rest of the campaign.
Well aware that to gain national recognition, a team must play well under close scrutiny, the Irish did just that. After tying for first in the Legends of Indiana Intercollegiate and winning the Louisville
Intercollegiate, Notre Dame showed that after years of futility it may
indeed be on the threshold of greatness.
While the success of the team was surprising, the individual play of Ratay was even more so. Not even considered a lock to make the squad's starting five at the year's onset, Ratay grabbed the spotlight with a win in the individual competition in the Legends of Indiana Intercollegiate. That win, along with his strong play over the summer, has him ranked 32nd among all NCAA golfers.
"I think the program has really moved up in the last 3 to 4 years," Ratay noted. "We're starting to make a name for ourselves. Winning will do that for you."
Ending the wait
After playing so well in the fall, Notre Dame returns to spring action with a NCAA birth very much in reach. Currently ranked fourth in the region, the Irish will be keeping one eye on those rankings, knowing full well that the top six qualify for the NCAAs. Hopes of the squad making its first tournament appearance since the Johnson administration were heightened with a solid second place finish at the Treasure Coast Classic in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Led by Connell who posted a top five finish in the individual competition, Notre Dame was ever so barely nipped at the tournament's end by a very competitive Liberty team.
After so much fall success, the Irish will be forced to raise their level of play a notch, while doing the opposite to their scores if they are to rise in the national rankings.
"We didn't play against a lot of the best teams in the fall," Ratay said. "The level of competition this spring will be higher, so we'll be tested early." The Irish seem prepared to ace every one of their upcoming exams. With confidence at an all-time high, the Irish will be looking to establish themselves as a national power, and an NCAA tournament birth would be the biggest step they could take towards that goal. "It would be huge," Ratay said of a potential NCAA bid. "That's the way to get attention. When guys decide where to go out of high school, that's one of the first things they look at. They want to know whether or not you made the NCAAs."
The fact that they are playing for something more than wins is what perhaps separates the Irish from their competitors. With a sudden swell in talent and the opening of a beautiful new course, the Irish feel pressure to perform well, knowing that talent and facilities can only do so much to establish a national reputation; they know they need to win. While it may be a stretch to say that the future of the program rides on the success of this year's squad, strong play in the NCAAs this spring would go a long way in helping the Irish gain the position they want so dearly.
Hoping to mimic
While the success of the their male counterparts has perhaps overshadowed the Notre Dame women's golf team, it is has become increasingly evident that the ladies of the links are not to be overlooked. Like the men, the Irish women hope to help usher in the golden era of Notre Dame golf. Led by sophomore Kristin McMurtie, who posted a career best round of 73 to tie for third, the Irish finished eighth in the 20-team Snowbird Invitational.
Juniors Mary Klein and Shane Smith also played well, and will be key factors in the team's anticipated emergence as a national power, an emergence in which the Warren Golf Course will play a major role.
The Crown Jewel
With the talent in place and opportunities to win ahead, the Irish have put themselves in great position to become a national power at the perfect time. With the Warren Golf Course set to open, the Irish will gain a powerful recruiting tool. The antiquated, relatively plain, nine-hole facility that previously served as the team's home course did little to attract recruits. The new Warren Golf Course, which purports itself to be of championship caliber should serve as a recruiting magnet. The par 71 layout designed by two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw promises to be one of college golf's
finest facilities. It's likely that the course's beauty will work to offset the recruiting disadvantage Notre Dame has due to its weather. Many top recruits choose to play their college golf in the south, where warm weather allows for year round play. A course as nice as Warren will go far in dissuading would be stars from venturing south, instead wooing them to Our Lady's University.
Though the Warren Course is not yet open to the public (the new target date is May 1), members of the golf team have had a chance to test their skills on the new links.
"It's a great course, not too easy, not too difficult," Ratay noted. "I think it'll be a good home advantage for us. The greens are tricky, and undulating, so local knowledge is a good thing to have."
The course will favor shotmakers, as accuracy of the tee will be required. The course's rather short layout (less than 7000 yards) puts a premium on accuracy rather than distance.
Hazards are common, as players will encounter lakes on both nines, as well as a creek that winds through the finishing holes.
"You have to be accurate," Ratay said. "You need to keep it in play."
Boasting a beautiful layout, and a clubhouse with all the necessary amenities, the Warren Golf Course should further Notre Dame's cause and help it rise to the ranks of the nation's elite programs.
Golden Era?
Every shot will matter that much more this spring. With talent and a sparkling new facility, the Irish know that with a good showing they can boost their national standing considerably. Wins will bring top recruits, which will bring national recognition. It would be a shame not to take advantage of the recruiting possibilities the new course will present. For Notre Dame golf, the future is now.
All Sports Stories for Friday, March 24, 2000
