College Men’s Golf Results – Guilford Takes Third at NCAA D3 Preview

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. – Senior Kendall Dunn (Greensboro, N.C./Vandalia Christian (UNC Pembroke)) fired a career-low 67 to help Guilford climb from eighth into third place on the final day of the NCAA D3 Preview Tournament. Thanks to Dunn’s five-under-par score and teammate Kell Graham’s 71, the Quakers shot the day’s third-lowest score (294) and finished with a 54-hole 895.

Second-round leader Huntingdon College carded the day’s low round (293) and won the 18-team event by 21 strokes over second-place Wittenberg University (281-312-296-889). The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor slipped from second into fourth place after Tuesday’s 305 that gave it an 898 total. Berry College (300-304-294-898) saved its best for last and shared fourth place with Mary Hardin-Baylor and Methodist University (300-299-299-898).

The event gave teams the chance to play the courses slated to host the 2017 NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships. Monday and Tuesday’s rounds were played on the par-72, 6,820-yard El Campeon Course at the Mission Inn Golf and Tennis Resort.

After an opening-round 71 on the Las Colinas Course, Dunn’s score swelled to 81 on the El Campeon Course in Monday’s second round. The senior started his round with a double-bogey seven, but he bounced back in a big way. He birdied holes seven through 10 and finished with seven birdies in what proved the lowest round of the day. Dunn’s play vaulted him up 32 spots on the individual leaderboard into a share of sixth place at 71-81-67-219 (+3).

Dunn wasn’t the only Quaker carding his finest college score as the rookie Graham had two birdies on the front nine en route to the best round of his short career. Like Dunn, Graham also shot an 81 Monday and his turnaround was key to the Quakers’ Tuesday rally. Graham shot 72-81-71-224 to finish in 20th place, four strokes and 18 places ahead of teammate Harrison Frye (78-72-78-228). Frye’s final round 78 matched fellow Quakers Josh Hill (71-82-78-231) and Zach Evens (76-77-78-231). Hill and Evens shared 50th place in the 92-man field.

Huntingdon’s Will Thrash led wire-to-wire and claimed medalist honors with a four-under 212 (67-75-70). Teammate Addison Lambeth (70-72-74-216) finished four strokes back in a tie for third place and the Hawks’ Jon Colten Stanaland (72-73-74-219) came home in sixth place. Berry’s Ryan Elmore fired a four-under 68 Tuesday and climbed into second place (215), three strokes off the lead.

Coach Justin Tereshko’s team, ranked 19th in the Bushnell Golfweek Division III Coaches’ Poll, plays October 9-11 at the Golfweek D3 Invitational in Miramar Beach, Fla.