College Golf Results – Oglethorpe Leads, Guilford Sixth After 36 Holes at Tournament Town Championship Preview

GREENSBORO, N.C. –Oglethorpe University’s Anthony Maccaglia blistered Grandover Resort’s East and West Courses to lead the top-ranked Stormy Petrels to an six-stroke lead in the Tournament Town Championship Preview. At nine-under-par after 36 holes, he holds a four-stroke lead in the 90-man field, which played in sunny and pleasant conditions Sunday.

Co-sponsored by the Greensboro Sports Commission and Guilford College, the tournament previews the site of the 2015 NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships, to be held at Grandover May 12-15. The Preview’s field consists of 18 teams, including 11 ranked among the top-23 units in the Golf Coaches’ Association of America (GCAA) Pre-Season Division III Poll.

Maccaglia, a three-time PING NCAA Division III All-American, shot four-under-par 68 on the 7,100-yard East Course in Sunday’s first round and followed with a five-under 67 on the 6,800-yard West Course. The senior made four birdies in his bogey-free opening round and overcame two West-Course bogeys with seven birdies.

Maccaglia’s play helped Oglethorpe, runner-up in the 2014 NCAA Championships at Grandover, shoot two-
under 284-290-574 as a team. Teammate Will Morrow is fifth at one-under 143. He shot a three-under 69 in the first round on the East Course, followed by a 74 on the West. Oglethorpe’s David Kleckner shares 13th place at 72-74-146.

Defending tournament champion Illinois Wesleyan University, ranked seventh nationally, holds second place (296-284-580) after blistering the West Course with a four-under 284. Gabe Aprati (72-72-144) and defending tournament runner-up Kenny Wienckowski (73-71-144) share the sixth spot among individuals and are one stroke better than teammate Tim Tynan, who had the day’s low round, a six-under 66, after a first-round 79.

Sixth-ranked Wittenberg University sits third, nine strokes off the lead, at 294-289-583. Alex Andrews sparked the Tigers with matching rounds of 71 and holds fourth place individually.

Methodist University, the number-two team in the GCAA Poll, is in fourth place (297-291-588), one stroke better than USA South Athletic Conference-rival LaGrange College (303-286-589). Despite shooting five-under after 36 holes, LaGrange’s Osborn Theam (69-70-139) remains four shots behind Maccaglia on the individual leaderboard. Methodist’s Jeff Wells is third at 71-70-141 (-3).

Guilford’s Drew Thompson and Tanner Gross (Archdale, N.C./Homeschooled) are part of a four-way tie for eighth place among individuals. Thompson fired a two-under 70 on the East Course and shot 75 on the West for a one-over 145. Gross, the defending Division III Rookie of the Year, finished at 73-72-145. Rookie Harrison Frye (High Point, N.C./High Point Central) overcame an opening 79 in his first college round and shot a two-under 70 in the second round. He climbed over 30 spots into 29th place on the leaderboard at 79-70-149.

The tournament’s third and final round begins from the East Course’s first and 10th tees Monday at 8:00 a.m.