*GUILFORD** GOLF TEAM FIFTH AFTER FIRST ROUND OF NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS*
Hershey, Pa. — *Guilford College’s men’s golf team shot a
15-over-par 303 Tuesday and sits in fifth place behind leader Skidmore
College (295) after the first of four rounds at the 37-team NCAA Division
III Golf Championships at the Hershey Country Club and the Hershey Links.
The Quakers trail neighboring Greensboro College (301) by two shots and have
a one-shot lead over sixth-place Central College (304) and the University of
Wisconsin-Stout (304).
All of the schools played through rainy and chilly conditions
for most of the day. The start of the opening round was delayed 80 minutes
due to frost. Each of the top-seven teams played their opening rounds at the
Hershey Links Course. Methodist University, Division III’s top-ranked team,
had the low round (307) on the Hershey Country Club’s East Course and sits
in a share of eighth place. The teams will switch courses Tuesday and the
schools with the low 24 scores will advance to the tourney’s third and
fourth rounds.
Guilford is ranked fourth in the April 28 *Golf World*/NIKE Golf
Division III Coaches Poll and bidding for its third NCAA golf title. The
Quakers won the 2005 NCAA Division III title in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla.,
and the 2002 crown in Lincoln, Neb.
Four Guilford students stand among the top-50 competitors after
18 holes. Senior *Brian Creghan (Radnor, Pa./Conestoga)* shot one-over-par
73 and shares sixth place among the 190 individual competitors. Creghan
birdied the second and ninth holes to make the turn at one under, but had
four bogeys on the back nine. Sophomore *Dusty Roberts (Reidsville,
N.C./Rockingham County)* was also one under through nine and one over
through 12, but made a double-bogey six on the 14th hole and finished with a
three-over 75, which shares 18th place. Senior *Peter Latimer (Markinch,
Scotland/Madras)*, Division III’s top-ranked golfer according to
Golfstat.com, shot a five-over-par 77 and shares 39th place. Rookie *Noah
Ratner (Asheville, N.C./Asheville)* made his lone birdie on 18 to finish at
78 and tied for 50th. Classmate *J.T. Thomas (Raleigh,
N.C./Broughton)*stands in a tie for 104
th after shooting a 10-over 82 in his NCAA Tournament debut.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges’ *Tain Lee*, playing as an
individual,* *has the individual lead with a two-under 69, on the Hershey
Country Club’s East Course. *Jeremy Rubin *of nearby Franklin & Marshall
College birdied three of the first nine holes and finished two strokes off
the lead at 71. The championship continues with Wednesday’s second round and
ends Friday. Guilford tees off at 9:30 a.m. on the Hershey Country Club’s
East Course.
*TEAM STANDINGS (after 1 of 4 rounds)*
* School Strokes Par Course**
1 Skidmore 295 +7 1
2 Franklin & Marshall 298 +10 1
3 Otterbein 300 +12 1
4 Greensboro 301 +13 1
5 Guilford 303 +14 1
T6 Central 304 +15 1
T6 Wisconsin-Stout 304 +16 1
T8 Oglethorpe 307 +16 1
T8 Texas-Tyler 307 +19 1
T8 Methodist 307 +23 2
11 Centre 308 +20 1
12 Huntingdon 309 +25 2
13 Wittenberg 310 +22 1
T14 St. John’s (Minn.) 312 +29 2
T14 Nebraska Wesleyan 312 +24 1
16 Monmouth (Ill.) 313 +25 1
T17 Aurora 314 +26 1
T17 SUNY Farmingdale 314 +30 2
19 Hope 316 +32 2
T20 LaVerne 317 +33 2
T20 Trinity (Conn.) 317 +29 1
T22 LaGrange 318 +34 2
(there are 37 teams – see full results at www.ncaa.com)
*INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS*
1 Tain Lee Claremont-MS 69 -2 2
2 Jeremy Rubin* *Frank. & Marshall 71 -1 1
T3 Scott Pugh Oglethorpe 72 E 1
T3 Brendan Singleton Skidmore 72 E 1
T3 Andrew Townsend Central 72 E 1
*GUILFORD** STUDENTS*
T6 Brian Creghan 73 +1 1
T18 Dusty Roberts 75 +3 1
T39 Peter Latimer 77 +5 1
T50 Noah Ratner 78 +6 1
T104 J.T. Thomas 82 +10 1
* 1 – Hershey Links (par 72, 6837 yards)
2 – Hershey Country Club – East Course (par 71, 6984 yards)
Dave Walters
Guilford College Athletics