College Men’s Golf News – Guilford Advances to DIII Match Play Invitational Semifinals

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Guilford College advanced to the semifinals of the Second Annual NCAA Division III Match-Play Invitational Friday with 3-2 wins over Lynchburg College and Webster University.

The Quakers, seeded second in the 16-team tournament, take on Hope College in one Saturday semifinal on the par-72, 6,860-yard East Course of the Grandover Resort and Spa. The second semifinal pits top-seeded University of Texas-Tyler against fourth-seeded Greensboro College. The final will follow Saturday.

Guilford used nine different student-athletes in Friday’s matches contested in sunny and mild conditions. Senior Harrison Frye (High Point, N.C./High Point Central) clinched the Quakers’ opening-round win over 15th-seeded Lynchburg with a 2-up victory over the Hornets’ Carter Old. Guilford’s Kell Graham won six of the first nine holes in his match with Justin Wimmer and cruised to a 5 and 4 triumph. Rookie teammate Addison Manring (Stoneville, N.C./McMichael) accounted for the Quakers’ third point with a 2-up triumph over Josh Petrillo.

The win set up a quarterfinal match with 10th-seeded Webster, a 3-2 winner over number-seven Hampden-Sydney College in the first round. The Quakers rolled out four new contestants for the match save for Graham, and the outcome came down to the wire. After the Guilford sophomore opened up a three-hole edge over Zac Ciesla with four to play, Ciesla won two of the next three holes and got within one. Each student made a five on the final hole, resulting in Graham’s clinching victory. Rookies Louis Lambert and Jack Lee both scored convincing 4 and 3 wins for the Quakers.

Hope did not lose a match in their 10 individual contests. The Flying Dutchmen downed 14th-seeded Christopher Newport University, 3-0-2, in the first-round contest before blanking number-11 Transylvania University, 5-0, in the quarterfinals.

Top-seeded UT-Tyler dropped just one decision among 10 matches to reach the semis. The Patriots shutout the University of the South’s ‘B’ team, 5-0, and claimed a 3-1-1 triumph over eighth-seeded University of Mary Washington to set up a semifinal match with Greensboro. The Pride edged 13th-seeded Mount St. Joseph University, 2-1-2, in the first round before pulling out a 3-2 win over defending national champion Wittenberg University.

This year’s event, the largest known college match-play tournament, features six teams ranked among the top 18 teams in the current Golfstat.com NCAA Division III Rankings. Berry College, which is not participating in this year’s event, is the defending tournament champion.

The 16 teams begin play in the championship and consolation brackets Saturday (4/7) at 7:25 a.m. The title match begins at 1:00 p.m.

NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Match Play Invitational
April 6, 2018
First-Round Results

#1 Texas-Tyler 5 def. #16 Sewanee ‘B’, 5-0
#8 Mary Washington def. #9 Otterbein, 2-1-2
#4 Greensboro def. #13 Mt. St. Joseph, 2-1-2
#5 Wittenberg def. #12 Piedmont, 2.5-2.5 (Wittenberg wins on total holes won)
#3 Hope def. #14 Christopher Newport, 3-0-2
#6 Rhodes def. #11 Transylvania, 3-2
#10 Webster def. #7 Hampden-Sydney, 3-2
#2 Guilford def. #15 Lynchburg, 3-2

Quarterfinals
#1 Texas-Tyler def. #8 Mary Washington, 3-1-1
#4 Greensboro def. #5 Wittenberg, 3-2
#3 Hope def. #11 Transylvania, 5-0
#2 Guilford def. #10 Webster, 3-2

Consolation
#9 Otterbein def. #16 Sewanee ‘B’, 5-0
#12 Piedmont def. #13 Mt. St. Joseph, 3-0-2
#14 Christopher Newport def. #6 Rhodes, 4-1
#7 Hampden-Sydney def. #15 Lynchburg, 4-1

April 7, 2018
Semifinals
#1 Texas-Tyler vs. #4 Greensboro
#2 Guilford vs. #3 Hope

Consolation
#9 Otterbein vs. #12 Piedmont
#7 Hampden-Sydney vs. #14 Christopher Newport
#5 Wittenberg vs. #8 Mary Washington
#10 Webster vs. #11 Transylvania
#13 Mt. St. Joseph vs. #16 Sewanee ‘B’
#6 Rhodes vs. #15 Lynchburg