HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. – The (RV) Guilford College men's golf team accomplished making the top-18 at the NCAA Division III National Championships, improving by four strokes and 20 positions as a team during Monday and Tuesday's outings at Mission Resort & Club on the El Campeon and Las Colinas courses.
In a wire-to-wire clash between the nation's best teams in NCAA Division III, No. 9 nationally-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University propelled above the rest at the conclusion of Tuesday's round, logging a two-day team score of 567 (-5) to take a three-stroke lead. No. 6 nationally-ranked Washington & Lee University followed suit with a two-day tally of 580 (-2) after strong outings to push the Generals up nine spots in second place. No. 10 nationally-ranked Oglethorpe University's Ryan Dunn stands alone atop the leaderboard, firing an individual score of 137 (-6) through two days of action. Alan Van Asch of No. 21 nationally-ranked University of Lynchburg sits as the top individual player, marking out with a current individual score of 138 (-5), placing him in tied for second overall. After a long weather delay through Tuesday's opening round, Guilford roared back above the cut line at the conclusion of Wednesday's round, recording a team score of 594 (+22) through 36 holes of play.
Andrew Perry (Fuquay Varina, N.C.) was off to a hot start in the opening round of action, recording three birdies on both sides to tally a 69 (-2) on the Las Colinas course during day one. Perry's display on Wednesday would not count towards the team total, only salvaging three birdies with a double-bogey on the par-3 eighth to fire a 76 (+4) on the day for a two-round total of 145 (+2), currently placing him in tied for 32nd.
Even though
Larsen Gallimore (Walnut Cove, N.C.) accrued a streak of bogeys on the front nine, he would eventually improve at the turn with six pars and a birdie on the par-4 16th to fire a 75 (+4) in Tuesday's showing. Gallimore dominated in Wednesday's outing, marking only two bogeys on the card with a birdie on the par-5 seventeenth for a 73 (+1), firing a 148 (+5) to mark out in tied for 61st position.
Luke Wise (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) continued his regular-season consistency during Tuesday's opener, recording birdies on the par-5 fifth, the par-5 thirteenth, and the par-4 17th to log a 77 (+6) to commence the National Championship. Wise would follow in Gallimore's footsteps, collecting three birdies during his second 18 to fire a 73 (+1) on the day, tallying a two-day total of 150 (+7) to rank tied for 88th overall.
Much improvement has been made for
Braeden Gillen (Holly Springs, N.C.), kicking off Tuesday's opening round with three birdies, two on the closing side, to finish round one with a 78 (+7). Gillen would continue that success during Wednesday's showing, carding three birdies on the day to collect a 75 (+3) through 36 holes for a 153 (+10) individual score, marking out in tied for 124th.
Gavin Peach's (Charlotte, N.C.) score did not contribute to the team total in day one's action for the Quakers, tabulating an 81 (+10) with one birdie on the par-5 fifth. Peach would improve from that mark by seven shots during the second 18, recording three birdies to card a 74 (+2) to tabulate a two-day total of 155 (+12), currently placing him in tied for 144th.
Guilford looks to continue their success during the final two rounds of action, looking to pursue their third all-time title at the NCAA Division III National Championships at Mission Resort & Club on Thursday, May 14th, through Friday, May 15th.
#GoQuakes
