College Men’s Golf Results – Guilford’s Palmer Sets 36-Hole Record at Gordin Classic

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Guilford College sophomore Ty Palmer (Kernersville, N.C./Forsyth Country Day) shot matching rounds of 66 to help the Quakers open a 17-shot lead after 36 holes of the 12-team Gordin Classic Monday.

Palmer blistered the par-72, 7,010-yard Columbus Country Club track twice Monday to open a 10-shot lead over the 60-man field. His 132 broke Guilford’s 36-hole record of 133 set by Joseph Poplin ’07 at the 2007 Marine Federal Credit Union Intercollegiate.

Guilford grabbed a four-stroke lead after shooting 290 in Monday’s first round and followed with a four-under-par 284, 13 strokes better than the nearest competitor. The Quakers’ two-under 574 matches the 10th-lowest 36-hole score in school history. Rhodes College shot 294-297-591 for a two-shot edge over third-place and top-ranked Oglethorpe University (296-297-593).

Playing not far from his home in Pickerington, Ohio, Quakers’ senior Drew Thompson enters Tuesday’s final round tied for fifth place after Monday’s 75-70-145. Guilford rookie Harrison Frye (High Point, N.C./High Point Central) sits 14th at 73-76-149. Sophomore Tanner Gross (Archdale, N.C./Homeschooled) opened an 82, but rebounded with an even-par 72 and shares 35th place at 154.

Hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University since 1991, the Gordin Classic annually matches 12 of NCAA Division III’s top teams, featuring most, if not all, of the top-10 finishers from the previous spring’s Division III Championship.

The tournament is named for longtime Ohio Wesleyan coach Dick Gordin, who served as the Bishops’ mentor from 1955-93. He guided 22 of his last 25 teams to the NCAA Division III or College Division tournaments, bringing home six top-five finishes in his last eight years, including runner-up efforts in 1990 and 1993. Ohio Wesleyan won 12 league titles in five different decades under Gordin, who was named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year in 1987 and 1993.

The tournament concludes Tuesday with 18 holes beginning with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start.