Guilford Finishes Eighth at Tom and Bettie O'Briant Memorial

Greensboro, N.C. (10/9/07) -- After five second-place finishes in the past six years, Oglethorpe University captured its first Tom and Bettie O'Briant Memorial Golf Tournament Tuesday afternoon at the Greensboro Country Club's Carlson Farm Course. The Stormy Petrels placed three students among the top-10 finishers in the 88-student field to outdistance the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's B team by seven strokes. Four-time defending tournament champion Methodist University shot 289-301-590 to finish third among 17 teams.

Washington and Lee University senior Nathaniel James won his fifth college tournament after blistering the course with an O'Briant Memorial-record 68-67-135 (-7) over 36 holes, including a four-under-par 67 Tuesday.

Oglethorpe shot the low team score both days, including Tuesday's 291. The Stormy Petrels' 36-hole 579 set an O'Briant Memorial record and matched the tournament record set by Wake Forest University in 1984. Senior Taylor Urbanski (73-70-143) and sophomore David Dilibero (72-71-143) led Oglethorpe and shared fourth place individually with Wesley College senior Mike Rushin (74-69-143). Oglethorpe junior Hap Kaufold (70-76-146) placed 10th. He finished one shot ahead of rookie teammate Matthew Rebitch, who rounded out the Stormy Petrels' scorers in 16th place (71-76-147).

James, a two-time PING NCAA Division III All-American, started the day tied with the UNC Chapel Hill junior Ryan Holler after an opening-round 68. James birdied three of the first seven holes and overcame three bogeys with an eagle on the par-five 16th hole and a birdie on 18. He finished five strokes ahead of Emory University junior Jeremy Evans, who turned in his second straight 70 for a 36-hole 140 (-2). Hampden-Sydney College senior Nick Combs eagled the ninth hole Tuesday and placed third with a two-day 142. Holler led the Tar Heels with a seventh-place 144.

Tournament host Guilford College shot Tuesday's second-lowest round (292) and moved up two spots to finish eighth (303-292-595). The Quakers' Brian Creghan shot 72 Tuesday and led the team with a 16th-place individual finish. Junior Burton Wood placed one stroke behind him in a share for 21st with a two-day 148. Sophomore Peter Latimer trimmed four strokes off of his opening-round 77 Tuesday and shared 28th place with rookie teammate Jonathan Wade at 150. Sophomore Scott Miller shot 77-77-154 and placed 43rd.

The 20th annual O'Briant Memorial featured six of NCAA Division III's top-25 teams, according to the Sept. 19 Golf World/NIKE Golf Division III Coaches poll, including three of the top-four squads. Ten of Division III's last 14 national champions were in the field. Second-ranked Methodist, third-ranked Oglethorpe and fourth-ranked Guilford made this one of Division III's top fall tournaments. Emory, which shared fourth in the O'Briant, is ranked 11th in the poll.

The teams competed on the par-71, 6,942-yard layout in northwest Greensboro. Greensboro Country Club hosted the event for the second straight season. Guilford held the same tournament at the Cardinal Golf and Country Club from 1978-87 when it was called the Guilford College Invitational.