Kyle Willis Class: Sophomore Hometown: Lake Forest, IL High School: Lake Forest Height / Weight: 6-1 / 170 Birthdate: 02/15/1988

COACH KUBINSKI SAYS... "Kyle is another talented player who simply needs to make his own opportunities. I expect he'll have a breakthrough this coming season and enjoy more competitive opportunities. He competes and putts well. Probably best of all, Kyle has such a good make-up for the game. He plays with poise. I thought he needed a year to get accustomed to college and the extremely competitive environment that is college golf. He needed to gain a little consistency, too. He passed those tests, and I expect a nice year from Kyle in 2007-08. With continued development, he certainly has the talent to give us a great lift during the upcoming season."

AS A FRESHMAN (2006-07): Participated in two tournaments (six rounds) during rookie season, carding 76.67 stroke average ... teed off college career at John Dallio Memorial ("B" team event), tying for 62nd place at 20-over par 236 (80-76-80) ... competed as individual participant at inaugural Fighting Irish Gridiron Golf Classic, sharing 14th-place honors at 14-over par 224 (80-72-72); final two rounds were his best scores of season.

SUMMER 2006: Qualified as alternate for U.S. Amateur following third-place tie at sectional qualifier in Chesterton, Ind., at the Sand Creek Country Club ... fired nine-over par 153 (76-77) and wound up four shots shy of second automatic qualification spot awarded at that site.

PREP AND PERSONAL: Stalwart on junior golf and high school circuits ... from 2004-06, registered 74.70 stroke average in junior golf action, including Top 35 finish at 167-player Future Collegians World Tour (FCWT) National Championship in 2004 ... also competed at `05 United States Junior Amateur Championship in Longmeadow, Mass., finishing second during qualifier ... four-year letterwinner at Lake Forest (Ill.) High School ... logged 75.10 stroke average, earning all-North Suburban League honors all four seasons while helping his team win two conference and two regional titles, as well as `04 Illinois state championship ... won back-to-back Lake County Invitational crowns, the first with a course-record 63 at the Countryside Golf Club (highlighted by a 28 on the back nine) ...National Honor Society member ... continues traditional pipeline of talent from Illinois to Notre Dame program, with 45 Illinois residents having earned golf monograms with the Irish; most recent product from Land of Lincoln was Arlington Heights native Steve Ratay (1999-2002), who was a two-time all-BIG EAST selection and two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America® pick while posting the fourth-lowest career stroke average in school history (74.46) ... full name is Kyle Francis Willis ... oldest of three children born to Bill and Sally Willis ... born February 15, 1988, in Lake Forest, Ill. ... recently completed First Year of Studies program at Notre Dame and now is enrolled in College of Arts and Letters.