Quakers Eighth After First Round of NCAA Golf Tourney

Full Results

Fishers, Ind. (5/15/07) -- Guilford College's men's golf team shot a 19-over-par 307 Tuesday and sits in eighth place behind leader Rhodes College (299) after the first of four rounds at the 35-team NCAA Division III Golf Championships at the Hawthorns Golf and Country Club and the Prairie View Golf Club in nearby Carmel, Ind. The Quakers share the eighth spot with Huntingdon College and have a one-shot lead over ninth-place Transylvania University (308).

Guilford is ranked second in the April 25 Golf World/NIKE Division III Coaches Poll and bidding for its third national championship in six years. The Quakers won the 2005 NCAA Division III title in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla., and the 2002 crown in Lincoln, Neb.


Three Guilford students stand among the top-41 competitors after 18 holes. Freshman Peter Latimer shot two-over-par 74 and shares ninth place among the 180 individual competitors. Latimer birdied the fourth and 11th holes, but bogeys on three and six left him even before a double-bogey six on the 13th hole. Sophomore Burton Wood birdied the 18th hole to finish with a three-over 75, which stands 22nd on the leaderboard. Senior Joseph Poplin birdied a team-high three holes, but double-bogey sixes on the second and 12th holes left him with a five-over 77 that shares 41st place. Senior Colin Clark, the 2005 Division III national champion, struggled to an 81 (+9) with four double bogeys. Freshman Brian Creghan made the turn at two-over, but struggled on the back nine to finish with an 84 in his NCAA Tournament debut.


McMurry's University's Rode McElreath has the individual lead with a three-under 69, thanks to five first-round birdies. Tyler Wollberg of Carthage College birdied four of the last eight holes to finish two strokes off the lead at 71.

The championship continues with Wednesday's second round and ends Friday. Guilford tees off at 9:00 a.m. on the Prairie View Course.