Guilford Opens 2009-10 Season Ranked in Top 10
Greensboro, N.C. (9/22/09) -- Guilford College's men's golf team opens its 2009-10 season this weekend ranked ninth in the first Division III Golf World/Nike Golf Coaches' Preseason Poll of the year. Defending NCAA champion Oglethrope University is ranked first after receiving 10-of-17 first-place votes. Huntingdon College is picked second with six first- place votes. Methodist University stands third in the poll and received one first-place vote. LaVerne University and University of Texas-Tyler round out the top five.
Seniors Peter Latimer and Brian Creghan have proven themselves as two of the South region’s finest Division III golfers. Latimer, who won two medalist honors a year ago, has four college titles to his credit and is coming off a strong showing at the 2009 Scottish Amateur Championships at Royal Troon where he reached the quarterfinals of match play. Like Latimer, Creghan also enjoyed summer success as he qualified for match play in the 2009 Philadelphia Amateur. Creghan has a 76.73 career stroke average in 70 rounds and is the reigning ODAC Golf Scholar-Athlete. In addition, he earned Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar recognition in 2009.
The Quakers have high hopes for freshmen Noah Ratner of Asheville, N.C., and J.T. Thomas of Cary, N.C., both of whom have already distinguished themselves on big stages. Ratner, the Western North Carolina Golfer of the Year according to the Citizen Times, won two gold medals this summer at the Maccabiah Games in Israel. Thomas placed fourth at the Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach earlier this month.
Hall of fame coach Jack Jensen's Quakers open the fall season this weekend at the Sea Trail Intercollegiate in Sunset Beach, N.C. Guilford concludes the fall season by hosting the 31st annual Tom and Bettie O’Briant Memorial, which typically features 10-12 nationally ranked Division III teams.
| Sept. 3 Golf World/Nike Division III Coaches' Poll | ||
|---|---|---|
Rank School (First-place votes) |
Points |
2009 NCAA Championship Finish |
| 1 Oglethrope (10) | 409 |
1 |
| 2 Huntingdon (6) | 397 |
6 |
| 3 Methodist (1) | 389 |
3 |
| 4 LaVerne | 374 |
2 |
| 5 Texas-Tyler | 316 |
4 |
| 6 Redlands | 300 |
9 |
| 7 Illinois Wesleyan | 298 |
5 |
| 8 Skidmore | 288 |
T-10 |
| 9 Guilford | 273 |
DNP |