College Golf News – Guilford’s Gross in Seventh After First Round of Patriot All-America Invitational

LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. – Guilford College’s Tanner Gross (Archdale, N.C./Home Schooled) shot a one-over-par 71 to gain a share of seventh place after Monday’s opening round of The Patriot All-America Invitational golf tournament.

Gross trails first-round leaders Kolton Crawford (Univ. of Arkansas) and Damon Salo (Johnson & Wales (Fla.)) by three strokes in the 84-man field. Crawford and Salo both shot 68 on the Wigwam Resort’s par-70, 6,965-yard Gold Course Monday, one shot better than Jose Mendez (University of Minnesota) and Josh Seiple (University of Mississippi).

Gross birdied the 580-yard, par-five fourth hole, but made a bogey four two holes later to make the turn even at 35. He bogeyed the par-three 11th hole, before making par on the seven remaining holes.
Gross, a 2014 Second-Team PING All-American and the 2014 NCAA Division III Freshman of the Year, is the top Division III contestant in the field comprised largely of 2014 All-Americans from all levels of college golf. The field also includes a member from each United States Military Academy, as well as Golf Coaches Association of America national award recipients, members of the most recent Palmer Cup Teams and American Junior Golf Association All-Americans and Toyota Junior Golf World Cup participants currently enrolled in their freshman year of college. This year’s field includes over 45 Division I golfers, many ranked among the top 100 by Golfstat.com.

In cooperation with the Folds of Honor Foundation, the contestants are continuing the tradition of representing a fallen service member. Each participant received a golf bag at the event’s opening ceremony with the name and branch of service of a fallen military member they will represent. Following the tournament, the bags will be auctioned off to alumni at respective schools with all proceeds benefitting the Folds of Honor Foundation to provide post-secondary educational scholarships to the families of the military service men and women killed or disabled while in active service.

Gross is playing in honor of former U.S. Army Sergeant Anton Hiett of Mount Airy, North Carolina, and the 391st Engineer Battalion, Army Reserve of Greenville, S.C. On March 12, 2006, a group of soldiers was clearing a route in eastern Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device detonated. Hiett and three others were killed.

Sgt. Hiett entered the military in 1998 just after graduating from North Surry High School. He began his career as an infantryman, but later had a desire to become a combat medic. After serving four years, he became a reservist and very much wanted to help in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He had asked to transfer to the 391st Engineer Battalion when he learned his own unit would not be deployed. He leaves behind a wife and two children.

Gross is the second Guilford student-athlete to compete in the Patriot All-America Invitational, joining two-time participant Noah Ratner ’13. Guilford coach Justin Tereshko played with Ratner in the inaugural event in 2011, representing Transylvania University.