College Men’s Golf News – Guilford Preps for NCAA Division III Championships

GUILFORD COLLEGE EARNS BID TO NCAA DIVISION III GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

GUILFORD’S BID: By virtue of its victory in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament April 25, Guilford College’s men’s golf team earned an automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA Division III Championships. The full 42-team field was announced May 4 and contains 33 automatic qualifiers and nine at-large selections. Five competitors will play as individuals, rounding out the 215-man field. The national championships will be held May 16-19 at the Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida. Mission Inn also hosted the championships in 2012 and 2005 (Guilford won the 2005 title). Oglethorpe University and the Central Florida Sports Commission serve as the tournament hosts.

The team and individual champions will be determined after 72 holes of play or the conclusion of the last fully completed round. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the top-18 teams and top-six individuals not on one of those teams.

GUILFORD VS. THE 2017 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS FIELD: The Quakers met 23 of the other 41 teams in the field during the regular season and compiled a 25-44 record in those meetings. Guilford’s 2016-17 records versus the 23 teams are as follows: Carnegie Mellon (0-1), Christopher Newport (1-3), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (0-1), Concordia (Texas) (0-1), Emory (2-4), Greensboro (2-4), Hope (1-0), Huntingdon (0-6), Illinois Wesleyan (1-2), LaGrange (1-4), Luther (1-0), Mary-Hardin Baylor (1-0), Methodist (2-4), Oglethorpe (1-4), Otterbein (1-0), Rhodes (0-3), Rochester (1-0), St. John’s (Minn.) (1-0), Texas-Tyler (1-1), Thomas More (1-0), Transylvania (3-1), Washington and Lee (3-2), Wittenberg (1-3).

GUILFORD IN THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS: Guilford received its 22nd NCAA Championships bid in 26 years of NCAA membership and seventh since 2010. The Quakers won their second national title in four years in 2005 with a 25-stroke triumph over the University of Redlands at the Mission Inn Resort. Guilford captured the 2002 NCAA Championship with a six-stroke victory over Greensboro College at the Firethorn Golf Club in Lincoln, Neb. The title marked the program’s first NCAA Division III title in any sport. The Quakers qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships in seven consecutive years after leaving the NAIA ranks in 1991.

Guilford’s NCAA Championships history is listed below:

Year    Rd. 1   Rd. 2   Rd. 3   Rd. 4   Total    Finish/Teams
1992    319     304     316     302     1241     11/21
1993    322     328     316     306     1272     16/22
1994    327     323     311     316     1277     T17/23
1995    333     325     328              986*    19/23
1996    297     311     295     309     1212     8/23
1997    302     295     340     302     1239     T5/23
1998    305     303     295     306     1209     11/23
2000    304     320     303              927*    T11/23
2001    293     292     283     295     1163     2/23
2002    300     311     301     300     1212     1/23
2003    313     305     298     307     1223     17/23
2004    312     304     314     292     1222     12/23
2005    302     285     297     290     1174     1/23
2006    299     296     302     318     1215     5/23
2007    307     311     314     312     1244     T7/35
2010    303     297     295     283     1178     2/37
2011    295     298     299     299     1191     9/40
2012    300     295     306     306     1207     11/41
2013    307     305     m/c     m/c      612     T17/41
2014    294     309     m/c     m/c      603     T17/41
2015    294     297     303     301     1195     8/41

* – tournament shortened by weather

GUILFORD IN THE POSTSEASON: As seen by their NCAA Championships experience, the Quakers are no strangers to postseason competition. Guilford ranked among the elite NAIA men’s golf programs during its affiliation with the organization and won the 1989 NAIA national championship.

Guilford teams have qualified for national playoff competition 33 times in the last 41 years. The Quakers recorded top-six finishes in 10 NAIA National Tournaments from 1979-1990, including runner-up performances in 1985, 1986 and 1987. Guilford placed second in the 2010 NCAA Division III Championships by one stroke to Methodist University and second in the 2001 NCAA Division III Championships by one stroke to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

GUILFORD’S LINEUP

			Low
Name (Class, Hometown)	Rounds	Avg.	Round	Best Finish (Score), Tournament, Dates
Zach Evens (Fr., Mercer Island, Wash.)	19	75.00	68	3rd (139), O'Briant-Jensen Memorial, 10/17-18
Harrison Frye (Jr., High Point, N.C.)	19	76.58	72	1st (73), Guilford-Hope-Luther, 3/22
Kell Graham (Fr., Matthews, N.C.)	22	75.32	70	2nd (218), ODAC Championships, 4/23-25
Josh Hill (So., Superior, Colorado)	22	75.05	71	1st (218), ODAC Championships, 4/23-25
Ty Palmer (Sr., Kernersville, N.C.)	18	76.93	67	2nd (138), O'Briant-Jensen Memorial, 10/17-18	

QUAKER NOTES: The Quakers are ranked 19th in Golfstat.com’s May 11 Division III Relative Rankings with a 264-19 comparative record, including a 4-19 mark against top-25 clubs. Huntingdon is ranked first… Guilford ranks 15th nationally in birdies (255) and par-four scoring (4.26), and 18th nationally in average score (75.73) and versus par (+4.09) according to the May 11 Golfstat.com Statistics Rankings… Guilford’s 299.32 team stroke average stands 14th in school history… the Quakers are ranked 17th in the May 5 Bushnell/Golfweek Division III Coaches’ Poll.

LAST TIME OUT: Guilford won its league-record 16th ODAC Championship Apr. 23-25 at the Wintergreen Resort in Nellysford, Virginia. The Quakers, who won their sixth league crown in seven years, finished 24 strokes ahead of second-place Washington and Lee University. Guilford shot 294-294-301-889 in the rain-soaked tourney. The victory marked the Quakers’ second of the year and gives Guilford six top-six finishes in 10 tournaments.

Sophomore Josh Hill captured his first career medalist honor by winning a one-hole playoff with teammate Kell Graham. The pair finished tied at 218 after 54 holes and headed back to the 18th hole to determine the tournament champion. Hill made par on the playoff hole, one stroke better than his teammate. The Quakers’ Ty Palmer joined Hill and Graham on the all-tournament team with a fifth-place finish. He shot 74-76-77-227, two strokes ahead of teammate Harrison Frye, who carded Tuesday’s low round (74) to finish seventh at 77-78-74-229. Freshman Zachary Evens shot 75-77-79-231 and shared eighth place.

HEAD COACH JUSTIN TERESHKO: Justin Tereshko joined Guilford’s athletics staff as the Quakers’ head men’s golf coach in September 2014. He replaced Corey Maggard, who resigned to become assistant men’s golf coach at NCAA Division I Auburn University.

Guilford has made two NCAA Division III Tournament appearances and won two ODAC crowns in Tereshko’s two-plus seasons. The Quakers won the ODAC and placed eighth in the national tournament in his first year. Two Quakers (Ty Palmer ’17 and Drew Thompson ’15) both received Third Team PING Division III All-America honors that year. The pair also garnered All-South honors in 2015. Aaron Abts ’16 became the first Tereshko-coached Quaker tabbed to the Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars List a year ago. With three students recognized in 2017, Tereshko has tutored eight different Quakers to nine All-ODAC commendations, including Thompson, the league’s 2015 Golfer of the Year and one of Guilford’s six all-league picks under Tereshko.

Tereshko spent most of the 2013 and 2014 seasons as the men’s and women’s assistant golf coach at DePauw University under Vince Lazar. With Tereshko on staff, DePauw placed eighth at the 2013 and 2014 Division III Women’s Golf Championships and won two North Coast Athletic Conference titles. The Tigers’ Paige Gooch earned First Team All-America honors from the Women’s Golf Coaches’ Association and was one of three DePauw students tabbed as 2014 all-region selections.

After graduating from Transylvania University in 2012 with an exercise science degree, Tereshko spent the fall season as interim head men’s golf coach and head women’s golf coach at Huntingdon (Ala.) College.

Like his predecessor at Guilford, Tereshko was an accomplished golfer at Transylvania under head coach Brian Lane. (Maggard was a Transylvania assistant coach for Tereshko’s first two years at the Kentucky school.) A two-time PING NCAA Division III All-American, Tereshko helped the Pioneers to second place in the 2012 Division III Championships, the best of Tereshko’s four NCAA appearances. He also ranked among Division III’s top-five statistical leaders in five categories that season, including stroke average. Transylvania won four Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament titles in Tereshko’s tenure, including in 2012 when he won medalist honors and was named the league’s player of the year.

Tereshko remains a competitive golfer and reached the Round of 32 at the 2014 United States Amateur Championship. The Madison, Indiana, native placed second at the 2016 North Carolina Amateur Championship and was selected for North Carolina’s 2016 United States Golf Association Men’s State Team.

Student Profiles
Zachary Evens (Fr., Mercer Island, Wash.) – league-leading 75.00 stroke average in 19 rounds stands 33rd in school history… has one subpar round and three even-par rounds… ranks 69th in the 2016-17 Golfstat.com Division III Head-to-Head Player Standings… has five top-10 finishes… First Team All-ODAC honoree… placed third at the O’Briant-Jensen Memorial (68-71-139)… won all three contests at the Division III Match Play Invitational April 2-3… had Guilford’s top result in three events.

NCAA Division III Championships Results: first appearance.

Harrison Frye (Jr., High Point, N.C.) – 76.58 average in 19 rounds, which ranks sixth on the team and 19th in the ODAC… has two even-par rounds… Second Team All-ODAC… placed seventh at the ODAC Tournament April 23-25… shot an even-par 73 to win medalist honors at a March 22 tri-match with Hope College and Luther College in Winter Haven, Florida… shot 78-72-150 to share 25th place at the O’Briant Jensen Memorial October 17-18… Second Team All-ODAC (2015).

NCAA Division III Championships Results: 2015 (320-74).

Kell Graham (Fr., Matthews, N.C.) – 75.32 average in 22 rounds ranks third on the team and fifth in the ODAC… ranks 117th in the 2016-17 Golfstat.com Head-to-Head Player Standings… has two subpar rounds and three even-par rounds… tied for first with a 73-70-75-218 (+2) at the ODAC Championships, but lost a one-hole playoff with teammate Josh Hill to determine medalist… earned All-ODAC Tournament honors… three top-eight finishes… led Guilford by shooting 77-74-151 to place 21st at the Callaway Gardens Invite.

NCAA Division III Championships Results: first appearance.

Josh Hill (So., Superior, Colo.) – 75.05 average in 22 rounds trails only teammate Zachary Evens among ODAC leaders and stands 39th in school history… has three subpar rounds and two even-par rounds… ranks 80th in the 2016-17 Golfstat.com Division III Head-to-Head Player Standings… has three top-eight finishes… First Team All-ODAC honoree… claimed first college medalist honor with one-hole playoff win over teammate Kell Graham at the ODAC Championships… shot 72-71-75-218 at the ODAC… won all three contests at the Division III Match Play Invitational April 2-3… had Guilford’s top result in two events… placed 26th at the 2016 Colorado Amateur.

NCAA Division III Championships Results: first appearance.

Ty Palmer (Sr., Kernersville, N.C.) – Averages 76.39 strokes in 18 rounds, which ranks fifth on the team and 17th in the ODAC… First Team All-ODAC (2016, 2015, 2014)… has one subpar round and one even-par round, both of which came at the O’Briant-Jensen Memorial where he placed a season-best second… has two top-five finishes… had Guilford’s top result in two events… named ODAC Golfer of the Week after his showing at the O’Briant… placed fifth at the 2017 ODAC Championships with a 74-76-77-227, which earned all-tournament honors for the league-record fourth straight year… birdied the 18th hole to win the 2016 Country Club of North Carolina Amateur title in December by one stroke… PING Third Team All-American (2015)… PING All-South pick (2014, 2015)… enters NCAA Tourney with 75.62 stroke average in 93 rounds, 14th-best in school history.

NCAA Division III Championships Results: 2015 (288-5th), 2014 (155-T108).

GUILFORD TO CO-HOST UPCOMING CHAMPIONSHIP: Guilford College and the Greensboro Sports Commission are co-hosting the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro for the fourth time in seven years next spring. The two also hosted the event at Grandover in 2011, 2014 and 2015. Grandover is the first site to host the tournament in successive years. The NCAA Championships is one of five Division III golf events slated for Greensboro next season. Others include the NCAA Preview, the O’Briant-Jensen Memorial, the Division III Match Play Invitational and the ODAC Championships.