NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s golf team wrapped up the annual Fighting Irish Classic with their first tournament win at home since 2019. The Irish finished strong in Round 3 with a tournament low team score of 273 (-7) to clinch the victory. With a three-round score of 835 (-5), the Irish were the only team, in a field of 15, to finish under par at the 2024 edition of the Fighting Irish Classic.
“You don’t get to play many home games in college golf, so it’s always the highlight of our season to host the Fighting Irish Classic,” Director of Golf and Head Coach John Handrigan said. “And to pick up a win against an elite field makes it that much more special.
“We competed with a lot of grit during the second round and made a big move up the leaderboard because of how well we handled some really difficult conditions. Our goal heading into the final round was to set the tone by playing our games and competing to win. We weren’t going to wait and see how the other teams started, but stick to our plan and focus on executing at the highest level possible. We got under par early and didn’t let up,” he continued.
Rocco Salvitti led the Irish field individually, finishing third overall with an overall score of 207(-3). The sophomore hit par in the opening round before finishing off day one of competition at 69 (-1) in Round 2. The final day saw him climb two spots in the individual ranks to finish with a 68 (-2) in Round 3 and 207 (-3) overall.
“Rocco’s been working incredibly hard on his game and improving in a couple of areas that needed some extra attention leading up to this week. To see it pay off with a chance to win, individually, was great to see,” Handrigan added.
Junior Nate Stevens took fifth overall after a +2 finish through the first two rounds Sunday. Hitting a 72 (+2) in Round 1, Stevens came back in Round 2 to record a score of 70 (E) heading into the last round. On Monday, Stevens recorded the lowest score of any Irish golfer at the tournament, shooting a 66 (-4) on the final 18, including six birdies, to close out the tournament with a score of 208 (-2).
Jacob Modleski also finished among the top-15 as his 210 (E) was good for 11th overall. The sophomore finished day one even after a 71 (+1) finish in Round 1 and 69 (-1) in Round 2. Modleski shot five birdies on the front-9 Monday to set himself up for the 210 (E) finish.
A 69 (-1) finish in Round 3 for Chris Bagnall earned him 43rd…
..