DESTIN, Fla. – Guilford College’s golf team shot 293 in Tuesday’s third and final round of the Golfweek Division III Fall Invitational to place 10th in the 18-team field. The tournament was played on the par-71, 6.799-yard Raven Golf Club, site of the 2013 NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships, and featured 16 teams ranked in the current Golf World/Nike Golf Division III Coaches’ Poll.
The Quakers, rated fifth in the Coaches’ Poll, carded Tuesday’s fourth-lowest score and finished 20 strokes behind tournament champion St. John’s (Minn.) University. The Johnnies overtook first- and second-round leader Methodist University and held off LaGrange College by one stroke for the win. St. John’s shot 292-289-295, while LaGrange shot 290-293-294. Defending NCAA Division III national champion Oglethorpe University (293-301-285-879) placed third, four strokes in front of Methodist, which shot 304 Tuesday to finish at 883. The University of Texas at Tyler took home fifth with 292-292-301-885.
Guilford senior Noah Ratner continued his steady play with a two-over 73 Tuesday and finished eighth in the 90-man field at 72-72-73-217. Sophomore Andrew Thompson shot an even-par-71, the team’s low round for the tourney, and placed 20th with a 74-75-71-220. Travis Tolbert scored for the second straight round with a 75 and finished 48th at 228. Nick Shedd and Ben Pinkleton both finished with 234 to share 69th place.
LaGrange sophomore Cory Howard led wire-to-wire for his first college medalist honor. He shot 69-68-68-205 and won by six strokes over St. Thomas University’s Alex Kapraun (72-68-71-211).
Coach Corey Maggard’s team returns to action next Monday (10/22) when the Quakers host the O’Briant-Jensen Memorial at the Cardinal Golf and Country Club.