Four Rounds Set for Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- Guilford College will represent the ODAC in the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Tournament, which is set for May 14-17 at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Destin, Fla.  The Quakers, winners of the 2002 and 2005 national crowns, earned their spot in the 41-team field via the conference’s automatic qualifier after winning the 2013 ODAC Men’s Golf Championship at Bay Creek Resort & Club two weeks ago.

Full Release from the NCAA

This season’s national field features 210 competitors from 41 teams and five individual qualifiers selected at-large.  Thirty teams punched their tickets courtesy of automatic qualification, while four enter from the independent ranks (pool B).  The final seven squads were selected at-large from throughout the NCAA Division III contingent.

Guilford, ranked sixth in the latest Golf World/Nike coaches poll and third in the NCAA’s southeast region, captured its third straight and conference-record 13th league crown in wire-to-wire fashion by 23 strokes over Randolph-Macon College.  Senior Noah Ratner, the 2013 ODAC Player of the Year and 2012 NCAA Division III Player of the Year, won individual medalist honors by five strokes over sophomore teammate Drew Thompson.  The pair owns the ODAC’s top-two individual averages at 73.0 and 74.9 strokes per round, respectively.  Three other members of Guilford’s presumed five-man squad rank within the top-11 in the ODAC.  Junior Dallas Page (76.2) is fifth in the ODAC, while sophomores Nick Shedd (76.6) and Travis Tolbert (77.2) sit ninth and 11th.

In national statistical rankings by Golfstat, the Quakers are tied for seventh in the country with a 75.81 per player average round.  Ratner’s 73.04 average is sixth in the nation, 1.61 strokes off the NCAA Division III lead held by Anthony Maccaglia from Oglethorpe University.  GC’s Thompson is rated 43rd at 74.87.

For more on the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Tournament, go to www.ncaa.com.  For more on ODAC men’s golf, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC’s home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.