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Men's Golf Prepares for BIG EAST Championships
April 27, 2012 | Men's Golf
April 27, 2012
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - - The University of Louisville men's golf team competes in the BIG EAST Men's Golf Championship on April 29 - May 1 at Reunion Resort, hosted by Reunion and USF.
The 33rd men's championship will be held at the Watson Course for the first time in championship history. Last year Notre Dame won its first BIG EAST title since 2006 and seventh as a member of the BIG EAST Conference. The Cardinals are vying for their third overall title since joining the league in 2005. Louisville won titles in 2007 and 2009, and finished second a year ago.
The Cardinals enter the championship as the No. 3 in the BIG EAST while ranked No. 108 by Golfstat.
Junior Chris Malec, who was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week, led Louisville to a first-place finish at the Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational at Delaware Country Club in Muncie, Ind., last weekend.
The Cardinals posted scores of 362-355-373-1090 (+40) to finish 10 shots ahead of second place Austin Peay. Malec won his first tournament at even-par by posting rounds of 70-68-72-210 to pace the Cardinals. It was the first tournament win of his career and also helped the Cardinals win their first tournament since the 2008 season.
"We have had an inconsistent season," said head coach Mark Crabtree. "We have improved in spring and playing our best golf of the year. (Justin) Dorward and (Chris) Malec with wins in spring have led the way. We will need contributions from all five and believe we can do that here. I think the win last week will help the team's confidence."
Senior Justin Dorward won the USF Invitational for the first medalist honor of the season. He leads the team with a 72.7 stroke average and has played four rounds in the 60s. The Cardinals have finished in the top six of five tournaments this year.
Notre Dame is ranked first in the BIG EAST with a national Golfstat ranking of No. 68. The team enters the championship coming off a first place finish at the "Battle At The Warren" on April 22. The Irish are led by Max Scodro, the 2011 BIG EAST individual champion, who has moved into first on the all-time career stroke average leaders in Notre Dame program history with his 73.46 mark.
USF is the No. 2-ranked team in the BIG EAST entering the championship. The Bulls had six top-10 team finishes during the 2011-12 season, with its best finish a tie for second place at the Golfweek Program Challenge in September. Freshman Trey Valentine has had five top-10 individual performances this season, with his highest finish a tie for third at the Seminole Intercollegiate on Mar. 9-11. Valentine owns the team's lowest average at 71.5 as well as the most rounds of par or better at 13. The Bulls team stoke average is 74.8.
The first round of the BIG EAST Championship will begin on April 29 with the first tee time at 8 a.m.
