Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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73 PRESEASON 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE I f a young PGA upstart golfer was ever looking for a confidence boost, one former Notre Dame star recently got his in spades. Fifth-year PGA pro Davis Chatfield came within only a few strokes of win- ning his first PGA Tour event when he finished tied for fifth with a 14-under par at the ISCO Championship July 9-12 in Louisville, Ky. The 2021 Notre Dame graduate posted rounds of 68, 64, 66 and 68 on the par- 70 Hurstbourne Country Club course to earn $148,000 and secure 60 FedEx Playoff points in the best finish of his PGA career. "This gives me confidence to know that I can win and be in contention any week," Chatfield told reporters after the tourna- ment. "I feel like I've been really close the last few months. And to see it come to fruition this week is really special." Chatfield made only two bogies dur- ing the entire 72-hole tournament and finished just two shots behind ISCO winner Steven Fisk. Afterward, the 27-year-old Chatfield explained how a change in approach and mindset helped fuel his terrific finish, and also helped him make the weekend cut in three straight PGA events. "What it boils down to, I was playing golf swing. I wasn't playing golf," the Attleboro, Mass., native explained. "I was thinking way too much of mechan- ics and things that I shouldn't be. I kind of let go of that, and it's showing on the score card." Without minimizing the best week- end of Chatfield's pro career, the PGA's top stars were overseas that weekend playing in the Scottish Open to prepare for the British Open the following week. But solid PGA players such as Max Homa, Tom Hoge and Camilo Villegas were part of the 144-player ISCO Cham- pionship field. In fact, former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover joined Chatfield as part of the three-way tie for fifth place. After his terrific finish, Chatfield also recognized Irish head golf coach John Handrigan for some continued advice and support. "I still keep in touch with him quite a bit," Chatfield shared of the relation- ship with his former college coach. "He's always told me that my game is good enough to compete out here. … I don't hit it that far. I just try to hit a bunch of fairways and greens, and he's always just told me to stay with it, and I have." ✦ FIGHTING IRISH HEADLINERS Marina Mabrey (2015-19), SG, Toronto Tempo, WNBA A well-traveled seven-year WNBA veteran, the first-year Tempo player ranked fourth in scoring in the league as of July 22, with 21.0 points per game. During a recent scoring surge, the 29-year-old Mabrey tallied a career-high 53 points in a 125-97 win over her former team, the Los Angeles Sparks, June 25. Remarkably, Mabrey was averaging her 21.0 points per game in just 29.4 minutes per outing. The 2019 second-round draft pick of Los Angeles is also averaging 3.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Cormac Ryan, (2020-23), SG, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA After cracking the Milwaukee Bucks' active roster late in the 2025-26 regular season, the New York City native competed during the Bucks' summer season in Las Vegas this July in an effort to secure that spot. Ryan, 27, played in two of Milwaukee's five summer league games and averaged 11.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.5 assists in 25.3 minutes per outing. Ryan could assume the role of former Irish shooting guard Pat Connaughton, who played seven seasons as a valuable backup with the Bucks before being traded to Charlotte prior to last season. Jessica Shepard (2017-19), F, Dallas Wings, WNBA Playing her first season in Dallas after seven seasons with the Minnesota Lynx, the Fremont, Neb., native is feeling right at home with her new team. Through 27 games as of July 22, the 29-year-old Shepard was second on the Wings in scoring at 14.9 points per game and led the league with 12.0 rebounds per game. A triple threat player, Shepard was also second on her team with 5.4 assists per game. PGA Player Davis Chatfield Making His Professional Mark I R I S H I N T H E P R O S Chatfield finished in a three-way tie for fifth place with a 14-under-par 266 at the ISCO Championship July 9-12 in Louisville, Ky. PHOTO COURTESY PGA TOUR