College Men’s Golf Results – Guilford Rallies For Second Place at Tournament Town Championship Preview

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Illinois Wesleyan University’s men’s golf team shot a tournament-best 292 to win the Tournament Town Championship Preview Monday. With Monday’s four-over-par total, the Titans shot 590 over 36 holes to win the 18-team event that previewed the site of the 2014 NCAA Division III Championships.

Tournament co-host Guilford College and Wittenberg University both started the round in a share of ninth place, but shot 293 Monday to finish in a share of second. Transylvania University (297-304-601) and first-round leader Greensboro College (295-307-602) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Illinois Wesleyan’s Kenny Wienckowski birdied the 18th hole Monday to clinch a share of medalist honors with Averett University’s Onni Hurri. Hurri carded a two-over 70 earlier Monday to finish at even-par 144. Wienckowski shot 72 in both rounds. Methodist’s University’s Dakun Chang shot a four-under 68, the tournament’s low score, a nine-shot improvement over his opening round. He placed third in the 90-man field with a one-over 145 and helped the Monarchs climb from 12th to sixth place as a team. Whitworth University’s Oliver Rudnicki turned in a 72-74-146 and finished in fourth place among individuals.

Gabe Aprati of Illinois Wesleyan led a group of five golfers in fifth place at 147. Guilford rookie Tanner Gross (Archdale, N.C./Homeschooled) and Wittenberg’s Jared Wissinger were also in that group with team-leading scores. First-round leader Greg Pappas of Greensboro College shot 78 Monday and shared 10th place with teammate Nick Peoples and Tyler McMorrow of Gustavus Adolphus College at 148.

Both Guilford and Wittenberg shaved 12 strokes off of their Sunday scores to rally into second place. The Quakers’ Dallas Page (Reidsville, N.C./Rockingham County (Averett)) and Drew Thompson both shot even-par 72 Monday, which marked a seven-shot improvement over their first-round totals and lifted them into a share of 20th place overall at 79-72-151. Gross counted for the Quakers with a 74, as did Travis Tolbert, who shot his second straight 75 and finished in 16th place at 75-75-150.

Guilford hosted the tournament in conjunction with the Greensboro Sports Commission as a preview of the 2014 NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships at Grandover. The Tournament Town Preview field boasted 13 schools that competed at the 2013 Division III Championships and 12 of the top-20 teams in the final 2012-13 Golfstat.com Relative Rankings. The 2014 championships will be held May 13-16.

Coach Corey Maggard’s team competes in the Gordin Collegiate Classic Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Columbus, Ohio.