Ratay leads Irish to third place finish at invitational
Special to The Observer
Sophomore Steve Ratay and the Notre Dame men's golf team continued their strong fall season by placing third Tuesday at the 19-team Xavier Provident Invitational.
It was held at the par-71, 6,808-yard Grizzly Tournament Course at the Golf Center at Kings Island.
Notre Dame — which opened the fall with first-place finishes at the Air Force Invitational and the Legends of Indiana Intercollegiate — failed to close the gap in Tuesday's third and final round, after sitting just four strokes off the lead following Monday's opening two rounds of play.
The team was disappointed with their inability to gain any ground on Tuesday, according to Ratay.
"I walked off the last green and most of the guys were looking half dead," he said. "We just couldn't believe that we couldn't make a comeback."
The Irish closed with a round of 295 in the play-five, count-four format, yielding an 872 total that trailed only Michigan and Marshall in the 19-team field.
Ratay — who served as Notre Dame's fifth man last spring before placing 11th at Air Force and winning The Legends of Indiana this fall — used steady rounds of 71-70-72 to finish tied for fifth in the 100-player Xavier field.
His even-par 213 total represents the fourth-best 54-hole score by an Irish golfer since stroke play began in 1963. Ratay attributes his better play this fall to a higher level of confidence.
The Irish received strong individual contributions from all five players, particularly in the second round when the team carded two 70s and two 71s while throwing out a 72. Senior Jeff Connell returned to form after being hampered at The Legends with a wrist injury, tying for 19th with a 219 total.
Senior captain Todd Vernon finished one stroke back at 220, with juniors Alex Kent and Adam Anderson rounding out the strong team showing.
Notre Dame's impressive start represents the first time in the program's history that an Irish squad has finished among the top three in three straight intercollegiate tournaments.
"We're pretty optimistic," Ratay said. "A lot more than in the past. We've gotten off to a good start and we think that we can compete with anyone."
The strong start also provides a huge boost to Notre Dame's hopes for securing the program's first appearance in the NCAA Championship since 1966.
The Irish were in the running for NCAA bids during each of the past two seasons, but had to rally in the spring after sub-par fall performances.
"It helps out in terms of your stance heading into the spring," Ratay said about Notre Dame's strong start. "Plus it gives you a lot of confidence."
All Sports Stories for Thursday, October 14, 1999
