O’Briant Golf Tournament continues at the Cardinal

EMORY’S RAINDRE, METHODIST LEADS AT O’BRIANT MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNEY

Tom, Bettie, Patti, Kathy and all the O’Briants were big golf people in the Guilford College community…..

Greensboro, N.C. –Defending tournament champion Methodist University shot 16-over-par 296 Monday to take the first-round lead at the 22nd annual Tom and Bettie O’Briant Memorial Golf Tournament at the Cardinal Golf and Country Club. Tournament host Guilford College sits five strokes off the pace at 301, followed by Emory University (303) and Christopher Newport University (312). Greensboro College and Cape Fear Community College both shot 315 and round out the top five.

The 17-team event concludes Tuesday with 18 holes at the par-70, 7,002-yard layout in northwest Greensboro.

Emory’s Charles Raindre fired the day’s low round with a two-over-par 72. He made 12 pars on the day and birdied the third and sixth holes. Methodist’s Trey Howell and Josh Speight, along with Guilford’s Peter Latimer and Brian Creghan, all shot 73 creating a four-way tie for second place among 90 golfers. Creghan and Greensboro College’s Connor Kennedy both made a round-high five birdies, while Methodist’s Speight parred 15 of the 18 holes on a cool and overcast day that produced an average score of 82.1.

After Howell and Speight, Methodist’s Alex Weir fired 74 and defending individual medalist Josh Shrader carded a 76, which stand sixth and 11th, respectively. The top-ranked Monarchs have won five of the last six O’Briant tourneys.

Guilford rookie Noah Ratner shot 76 and sits in a five-way share of 11th place. Teammates Dusty Roberts and J.T. Thomas both shot 79 and are tied for 25th place. Guilford’s Andrew Thayer (82) and Josh Sumler (88) played as individuals.

This year’s event features seven of NCAA Division III’s top-25 teams, according to the Oct. 14 Golf World/NIKE Golf Division III Coaches poll, including three of the top-eight squads. Top-ranked Methodist, fourth-ranked Guilford and eighth-ranked Greensboro make this one of Division III’s top fall tournaments. Emory is the nation’s 16th-ranked team in the poll.

The O’Briant returned to the renovated Pete Dye-designed Cardinal Golf and Country Club in 2008 following two years at the Greensboro Country Club. Guilford first hosted the tournament from 1978-87 when it was called the Guilford College Invitational.

Dave Walters
Guilford College Athletics