Last year, the ACC Championships represented one of the high points for the Notre Dame men’s golf team. After a regular season full of top-five finishes, the Irish registered another one at the 2022 ACC Championship. It was the best finish in the history of the program, which has reached some impressive heights in the first five years of head coach John Handrigan’s tenure.
However, the 2022-23 season has represented a bit of a step back. After finishing outside of the top five just once last season, Notre Dame finished inside the top five in just three of their 10 events in 2022-23 regular season. They have failed to notch a top-five result in each of their last six competitions, a drought that dates back to mid-October.
While the regular season may have been a bit of a disappointment, the Irish have a chance to put it behind them this weekend. The Irish will travel to iconic Pinehurst, North Carolina, to compete in the 2023 ACC Championship on the Dogwood Course at the Country Club of North Carolina.
The Irish return three of their five golfers from last year’s competition, including their top finish. Senior Palmer Jackson dominated last year’s competition, shooting under 70 in all three rounds to set a program record for the lowest score in the ACC Championship at 205. He finished tied for third place, which was also the best finish an Irish golfer had notched at the tournament. Junior Angelo Marcon also turned in a solid showing, going 71-72-74 across the three rounds and placing in a tie for 32nd. Graduate student Andrew O’Leary tallied an impressive 71 in the middle round, which was tied for the lowest single-round score of any Irish golfer outside of Jackson.
The competition lasts from April 21-24. Friday and Saturday will consist of three rounds of stroke play — two rounds Friday, and one Saturday. The match-play semifinal will take place Sunday, with the championship (also a match-play format) held Monday. Sunday’s action can be seen on ACC Network Extra from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday’s action is also available on ACC Network Extra from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
