Seven and a half months after it began on their home course, the regular season drew to a close this weekend for Notre Dame men’s golf. Notre Dame’s tenth and final competition of the 2022-23 season brought them to Papago Golf Club in Phoenix, Arizona, for the prestigious Thunderbird Invitational. Host Arizona State led the way, winning the team title and capturing the individual title thanks to a stellar performance from Preston Summerhays. Summerhays finished an impressive 13 under par, four strokes ahead of any competitor.
Competing against some of the country’s best programs, the Irish came in at six over par. It was their best finish since they came in four under at the Watersound Invitational from Feb. 19-21. The score earned Notre Dame a share of ninth place with Baylor out of 12 teams. The Irish’s best round of the tournament was actually their first, in which they ended in seventh place with a total score of 283. Notre Dame would shoot 288 in the second round and 287 in the third. Those scores placed 10th and 11th for the individual rounds, respectively. As a team, the Irish posted an even 50 birdies, tied for fifth most. Notre Dame’s 15 under par overall score of par fives was tied for fourth best as well.
Senior Palmer Jackson led the way for the Irish, as he has done at numerous tournaments throughout his Irish career. Jackson went 71-71-69, finishing in a tie for 20th place with a score of two under par. Freshman Nate Stevens also broke 70, shooting a 69 in the opening round, putting him inside the top 20 through 18 holes. Stevens finished the tournament with a pair of 72s, coming in a tie for 35th place. Sophomore Owen Mullen’s consistency netted him a top-50 finish, as he shot a 72 in each round. Junior Angelo Marcon started his tournament with a 71, tying Jackson’s round one and two scores for Notre Dame’s third-lowest mark of the weekend.
Now Notre Dame’s focus shifts to the ACC Championships. The Irish will look to replicate or better last year’s solid performance when they came in fifth. This year’s championship is held at the Dogwood Course at the Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst, North Carolina, from April 21-24.
