CAPE CHARLES, Va. – Guilford College won it’s league-record 13th Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) men’s golf championship Tuesday at the Bay Creek Resort & Lodge. The sixth-ranked Quakers shot 305-320-289 and won their third straight title by 23 strokes over second-place Randolph-Macon College (316-324-297-937). Hampden-Sydney College (320-307-323-950) finished third.
With their third tournament victory of the season, Guilford earned the ODAC’s berth in the NCAA Division III Championships May 14-17 at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Destin, Fla. The Quakers will be making their league-record 18th NCAA appearance.
Guilford posted the low round on two of three days and placed all five contestants among the top-15 finishers. Senior Noah Ratner (Asheville, N.C./Asheville), who earned his league-record third ODAC Player of the Year Award Monday night, took home medalist honors for the first time this season. The defending NCAA Division III Player of the Year shot 73-81-70-224 for his fifth career title. Sophomore teammate Drew Thompson (Pickerington, Ohio/ Pickerington North) birdied the first three holes Tuesday and finished second at 77-81-71-229. Guilford’s Dallas Page (Reidsville, N.C./Rockingham County (Averett)) was fifth at 79-80-73-232. The top-six finishers in the 50-man field earned all-tournament recognition.
Ratner rebounded from his highest score in 64 rounds (81) to post the tournament’s low mark and one of only two subpar rounds in the 54-hole event. Despite cold and windy conditions for the third straight day, he carded a two-under 70 Tuesday on the 6,987-yard layout on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Ratner holed out for an eagle on the par-five first hole and made the turn at even-par. He played the back nine at two-under par and cruised to a five-stroke victory, the tournament’s largest margin since 2009.
Sophomore Travis Tolbert (Titusville, Fla./Astronaut (Brevard C.C)) recorded Guilford’s fourth score Tuesday with a three-over 75, 15 strokes better than his second-round score. He finished 15th overall, three places behind teammate Nick Shedd (Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette), who shared 12th place with an 82-78-79-239.
Guilford is ranked sixth in the April 17 Golfstat.com Division III Head-to-Head Standings and seventh in the April 22 edition of the Golf World/Nike Golf Division III Coaches’ Poll.