GREENSBORO, N.C. – Third-seeded Hope College downed number-one University of Texas-Tyler, 3-1-1, in Saturday’s final of the Division III Match-Play Invitational at the Grandover Resort and Spa. The Flying Dutchmen went 4-0 in the two-day, 16-team event, believed to be the largest college match play event in history.
Tournament host Guilford College pulled out a third-place finish with a comeback win over Greensboro College in the consolation final. Hope reached the final with a 3-1-1 win over second-seeded Guilford. UT-Tyler edged Greensboro, 3-2, in Saturday morning’s other semifinal.
After a pleasant opening two rounds Friday, the teams played under difficult conditions Saturday. They found intermittent rain showers combined with high winds and temperatures tumbling into the low 40s. The par-72, East Course layout was shortened to 6,575 yards for Saturday’s opening round and 6,505 yards for the second round in an effort to reduce playing times.
Daniel Settecerri’s 4 and 2 victory over Nicklaus Cuny clinched Hope’s victory. Kade Hoeksema and Ben Kramer also notched wins over UT Tyler, the highest-ranked (6th) team in the field according to the latest Golfstat.com Division III rankings. The pair also won in the semifinal triumph over Guilford and finished with unbeaten 3-0-1 records in their four weekend matches.
Guilford’s semifinal loss to Hope set up a matchup with the Quakers’ crosstown rivals. Greensboro had the lead after nine holes before the Quakers rallied. Trailing by a hole, Guilford’s Kell Graham won 15 and 16 to turn a deficit into an eventual 1-up win over Luke Grogan. Likewise, the Quakers’ Harrison Frye (High Point, N.C./High Point Central) was down a hole through 11 but captured four of the next five holes en route to a 3 and 1 triumph. Guilford’s Zachary Evens clinched the win by taking the 18th hole from Jacob Neal for a 2-up win.
Guilford’s Frye and Graham paced the Quakers’ weekend performance with a perfect 3-0 record in four matches. Evens was 1-1-1 for Guilford, which used nine different golfers over the two days.
Coach Justin Tereshko’s Quakers now turn their attention to the defense of their Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship title April 22-24 at Bryan Park in Greensboro.
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