*GUILFORD** GOLFERS MOVE UP TO THIRD MIDWAY THROUGH NCAA TOURNEY*
HERSHEY, Pa. — *Guilford College’s men’s golf team shot 297
Wednesday and climbed two spots into third place after the second of four
rounds at the 37-team NCAA Division III Golf Championships. The Quakers
trail leader Methodist University (307-290-597) by three strokes after the
top-ranked Monarchs turned in the tournament’s low score playing the par-72
Hershey Links Course. Second-ranked Huntingdon College (309-290-599) shot
290 Wednesday on the same course and sits one shot ahead of the Quakers with
a 36-hole score of 599.
After playing through rainy and cold conditions for most of Tuesday’s first
round, the 190 competitors found more temperate weather Wednesday with
mostly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 50s. Guilford played the par-71
East Course of the Hershey Country Club Wednesday after playing Tuesday’s
round on the Links Course. The Quakers’ 297 marked the low score among the
18 teams playing the East Course Wednesday and the lowest score on the
course among all 37 teams.
Guilford is ranked fourth in the Apr. 28 *Golf World*/NIKE
Division III Coaches’ Poll and third in the latest Golfstat.com Division III
Head-to-Head Ratings. The Quakers are after their third national title in
nine years after winning the 2005 and 2002 NCAA titles.
Senior *Peter Latimer (Markinch Fife, Scotland/Madras) *led the
Quakers’ charge with a one-over-par 72 Wednesday. After making bogeys on two
of the first three holes, he settled down with four birdies over the last 15
holes. He birdied both par-three holes on the back nine and posted the day’s
second-lowest score among 90 competitors on the East Course. The two-time
defending 2009 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Player of the Year
climbed 22 rungs on the individual leader board into a share of 17th place
with a two-day total of 77-72-149. Guilford senior *Brian Creghan (Radnor,
Pa./Conestoga)*, maintained his sixth-place individual standing with a
two-over 73 Wednesday. He had three birdies mixed with five bogeys in his
second straight round of 73. Sophomore *Dusty Roberts (Reidsville,
N.C./Rockingham County)* continued his solid play with a two-over 73 that
moved him up seven spots into a share of 11th place at 75-73-148.
Freshman *J.T. Thomas (Raleigh, N.C./Broughton)* carded the Quakers’ fourth score Wednesday with a 79 that ranks 120th in the field at 82-79-161. Classmate *Noah Ratner (Asheville, N.C./Asheville)* shot 80 and shares 89th place with a 36-hole
78-80-158.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges individual *Tain Lee *maintained
his first-round lead by shooting three-under 69 Wednesday on the Links
Course. He is five under for the tournament and holds a six-shot edge over
the University of LaVerne’s *Mitchell Fedorka* (74-70-144) and Hope
College’s *Steven Strock* (74-70-144). Centre College’s *Chris Morris* had
Wednesday’s low score on the East Course with a one-under 70. At 145, he
shares fourth place with Susquehanna University individual *Mitch Mercer*,
who blistered the Links Course Wednesday with a six-under 66, the tourney’s
low round to date.**
The top-23 teams and top-five individuals not on one of those
teams after 36 holes advance to the final two rounds, which will be played
Thursday and Friday on the East Course. ODAC champion Bridgewater College
was among the teams that did not make the cut.
Complete results and Thursday’s tee times can be found at:
http://www.golfstatresults.com//public/index.cfm?tournament_id=1853
Team Standings (after 2 of 4 rounds)
Place
Team
To Par
Thru
Today
1
2
Total
1
1 ***
Methodist University 1
+25
F
+2
307
290
597
2
2 ***
Huntingdon College 1
+27
F
+2
309
290
599
3
3 ***
Guilford College 2
+28
F
+13
303
297
600
4
5 ***
Skidmore College 2
+30
F
+23
295
307
602
5
Otterbein College 2
+34
F
+22
300
306
606
T6
9 ***
St. John’s Univ.(MN) 1
+37
F
+8
313
296
609
T6
4 ***
Greensboro College 2
+37
F
+24
301
308
609
8
6 ***
Oglethorpe Univ. 2
+39
F
+20
307
304
611
9
45 ***
Hope College 1
+40
F
+8
316
296
612
10
27 ***
Centre College 2
+41
F
+21
308
305
613
T11
10 ***
La Verne, Univ. of 1
+44
F
+11
317
299
616
T11
18 ***
Wittenberg Univ. 2
+44
F
+22
310
306
616
T11
13 ***
Texas @ Tyler 2
+44
F
+25
307
309
616
T14
SUNY – Farmingdale 1
+45
F
+15
314
303
617
T14
Wisconsin – Stout 2
+45
F
+29
304
313
617
16
22 ***
LaGrange College 1
+47
F
+13
318
301
619
T17
Franklin & Marshall 2
+50
F
+40
298
324
622
T17
19 ***
Emory University 1
+50
F
+7
327
295
622
T17
14 ***
Illinois Wesleyan 1
+50
F
+12
322
300
622
T20
Central College (IA) 2
+51
F
+35
304
319
623
T20
16 ***
Transylvania U. 1
+51
F
+6
329
294
623
22
29 ***
Nebraska Wesleyan 2
+52
F
+28
312
312
624
23
Thomas More College 1
+54
F
+16
322
304
626
-30-
Dave Walters
Guilford College Athletics