College Men’s Golf Results – Guilford, Ratner Clinch O’Briant-Jensen Memorial Tourney

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Guilford College shot 294-300-594 to capture its second straight O’Briant-Jensen Memorial Men’s Golf Tournament Tuesday afternoon at the Cardinal Golf and Country Club. The tournament hosts swept the top-two places and placed three golfers among the top-18 finishers in the 89-student field. Guilford has won the event four times since its inception in 1978.

First-round leader Noah Ratner (Asheville, N.C./Asheville) hung on for his third medalist honor in as many seasons despite carding his highest score of the season Tuesday. Fueled by a career-low 65 in Monday’s opening round, the junior finished at 141 for 36 holes, one stroke better than rookie teammate Drew Thompson, who shot 70-72-142. Methodist University’s Andrew Bateman came in third at 69-74-143. Duke University’s Turner Southey-Gordon (75-69-144) and Liberty University’s David Jeh (69-75-144) played as individuals and shared fifth place.

Methodist University (298-298-596) fell two strokes shy of its record seventh O’Briant-Jensen crown and took second in the 15-team field for the second straight season. Greensboro College (298-298-596) matched the Monarchs stroke for stroke, but Methodist was awarded the runner-up trophy by virtue of a scorecard playoff. LaGrange College (300-323-623) overcame a 23-stroke increase to retain fourth place, two shots ahead of Averett University (313-312-625).

Ratner joined teammate Mat Hennick as Guilford’s only two medalists in the tournament’s 34-yard history. After blistering the par-70, 7,002-yard layout with eight birdies on Monday, he was even through the front nine on Tuesday, but bogeyed four of the last nine holes to finish with his highest score in 15 rounds. Despite that, his stroke average through eight rounds is 69.75.

Thompson’s one-over 72 marked the Quakers’ low round Tuesday. Fellow freshman Mitch Robinette turned in a 74, which helped him place 18th individually at 153. Guilford senior Dusty Roberts (Reidsville, N.C./Rockingham County) shot 81-78-159 in his final O’Briant-Jensen appearance.

The 24th annual O’Briant-Jensen Memorial featured five of NCAA Division III’s top-25 teams, according to the Sept. 28 Golf World/NIKE Golf Division III Coaches’ Poll, including three of the top-four squads. Top-ranked Greensboro, second-ranked Methodist and fourth-ranked Guilford made this a challenging fall tournament. Six schools were ranked among the top-35 teams in the Oct. 19 Golfstat.com Division III Head-to-Head Standings.

The O’Briant-Jensen 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. It is named for longtime Guilford golf supporters Tom & Bettie O’Briant as well former Guilford golf mentor Jack Jensen, who died suddenly in March 2010 in the midst of his 33rd season as the Quakers’ golf coach.