College Men’s Golf Results – Guilford 15th After First Round of NCAA Championships

DESTIN, Fla. — Guilford College’s men’s golf team shot 19-over-par 307 Tuesday and holds 15th place behind leader Methodist University after the first of four rounds at the 41-team NCAA Division III Golf Championships at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.

The Quakers had the 10th-lowest round on the par-72, 6,636-yard The Links Course. Methodist shot two-over 290 on The Links Course to open a two-stroke edge over second-place Transylvania University. Transylvania played the par-71, 6,854-yard The Raven Course Tuesday. Four schools ranked among the top seven in the latest Golfstat.com NCAA Division III Relative Rankings played The Links.

The teams switch courses Wednesday and the schools with the low 15 scores, plus five individuals from teams outside the top 15, advance to the tourney’s third and fourth rounds. Thursday and Friday’s rounds will be played on The Raven Course.

Two Guilford students stand among the top-50 competitors after 18 holes. The Quakers started the tournament from the 10th hole of The Links Course. Sophomore Travis Tolbert shot three-over-par 75 and shares 27th place among the 210 individual competitors. Tolbert totaled four birdies on the day, including three in his first eight holes. Senior Noah Ratner was one stroke behind with a four-over 76 that ranks 48th individually. Sophomores Drew Thompson and Nick Shedd both carded 78 and sit in a group of contestants in 72nd place. Thompson got off to a terrific start with birdies on the 11th, 12th and 13th holes. He slowed with double bogeys at 15 and 16 and made the turn two-over. Thompson played the front nine at four-over-par. Shedd was even through his first 12 holes, but stumbled down the stretch with double bogeys on four and six and bogeys on five and seven. Guilford junior Dallas Page (Reidsville, N.C./Rockingham County (Averett)) shot 84 and sits tied for 155th.

Methodist’s Jeff Wells shot three-under 69 on The Links Course and holds a one-stroke lead among individuals. Dennis Granath of St. John’s University (Minn.) also shot 69, but is in second place as his score came on the par-71 Raven Course. Granath’s play helped the Johnnies to a share of fourth place in the team standings. Four students, including Methodist’s Mike Wesko, share third place with one-under-par totals.

The championship continues with Wednesday’s second round and ends Friday. Guilford tees off at 12 noon on The Raven Course.

Guilford is ranked sixth in the May 6 Golf World/NIKE Golf Division III Coaches Poll and bidding for its third NCAA golf title. The Quakers won the 2005 NCAA Division III championship in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., and the 2002 crown in Lincoln, Neb.