GREENSBORO, N.C. --- Hometown favorite
Greensboro College claimed its second NCAA Division III Men's Golf
Championship Friday, holding off Illinois Wesleyan University at
Grandover Resort's East course. After Illinois Wesleyan took a
one-stroke lead after 14 holes of the final round, Greensboro made
three birdies over the last four holes and tied the Titans and
Centre College for the day's low round (290). The Pride finished at
15-over-par 1167 in the 40-team tournament, six strokes better than
the Titans' 1173 total.
Centre's Chris Morris shot 14-under-par 274 to take medalist honors
in the 205-man field. The senior shot one-under-par 71 Friday and
defeated defending national champion Tain Lee of
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges by four strokes. Morris made five
of his tourney-high 23 birdies Friday, including four on his first
nine holes. Lee carded a two-under 70 Friday and finished 10 under
for the tournament at 278. LaGrange College senior Hudson Keener
carded a four-under 68 Friday and placed third at 279, one stroke
better than Texas Lutheran University's Ryan Kiel, who shot a
final-round 69.
Greensboro, which also won the 2000 Division III title, earned its
14th top-five national tournament finish in 29
appearances. The Pride played confidently in Friday's final round
on the par-72, 7,045-yard layout under damp and muggy conditions.
In just his second season as a college head coach, Dirk Fennie
captured his first national crown after helping Greensboro place
11th in the 2010 championships.
Playing at the resort that has employed him for the past three
years, Greensboro senior Brock Elder saved his best round for last,
a bogey-free, five-under-par 67 that included birdies on four of
the last nine holes. Elder had the day's low score (along with
Centre's Grant Hinton) and jumped six places to finish fifth in the
field at three-under 265. Teammate Ben Nihart also finished strong,
carding a one-under 71 Friday that helped him place
11th individually at 292. Rookie Kirk Mitchell was
four-over at the turn, but battled on the back nine to finish with
a 75 (+3) and place 16th with a four-day 295. Elder
earned PING First Team All-America honors from the Golf Coaches
Association of America, while Nihart and Mitchell made the
second-team unit.
After starting the day in fourth place, Illinois Wesleyan came out
firing for the pins and was one-under-par at the turn. The Titans
dipped to three-under a few holes later and momentarily tied
Greensboro for the lead. Ryan Dorner was five-under par through the
first 13 holes, but bogeyed his final four holes and settled for a
one-under 71. He shared eighth place at 288 and earned First Team
All-America recognition. Dex Reese's three-under 69 was the Titans'
low score Friday, which vaulted him into ninth individually and
earned Second Team All-America honors.
Greensboro's USA South Athletic Conference rival Methodist
University jumped into second place in Thursday's third round and
started Friday three shots behind the Pride in second place. The
Monarchs shot 300 Friday, their highest round of the tournament,
and finished in a third-place tie with Saint John's (Minn.)
University and Texas Lutheran at 1180.
Tournament co-host Guilford College shot 299 Friday to finish ninth
at 1191. Sophomore Noah
Ratner shot 75 Friday and finished in
11th place at 292. He was a First Team All-America
honoree.
Guilford hosted this year's national championship along with the
Greensboro Sports Commission. The teams used Grandover's East
course and West course for the first 36 holes, and played the final
36 holes on the East course. The Division III Men's Golf
Championships move to the Mission Inn Resort & Club in
Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., in 2012.
This release is courtesy of the Guilford College sports
information department.