Fayetteville State Earns NCAA National Championship Berth with Regional Runner-Up Title
Fayetteville State Earns NCAA National Championship
Berth with Regional Runner-Up Title
Broncos drop to second in the final round behind
Indiana U. of Pa; VSU finishes tied for 17th.
May 6, 2009
Daniels, WV - Fayetteville State University led the first two rounds of the NCAA DII East/Atlantic Regional Golf Tournament but Indiana (Pa) rallied in the final round to capture the Super Regional Title with a total score of 915. FSU shot a 16 over par (304) for the first round and a 21 over (309) after a soggy morning second day. The Broncos improved on it its third round of play with a 305.
Indiana (PA) was four strokes behind after the second round and played seven stokes better in the third to capture the three point victory. The Broncos had two golfers to finish in the top ten while the other two scores rounded out the top 25. Joel Lynn (Sanford, NC) finished in a two-way tie for second with a nine of par (225) score. Derek Scott (Hope Mills, NC) began the final round tied for third but finished with a 228 score for a five-way tie for fifth place.
The top five teams and the top two individuals not with a team from each regional (regardless of region) will advance to the finals May 19-22 at Loomis Trail Golf Club in Blaine, Washington. The finals will be hosted by Western Washington University. Fayetteville State, IUP, Concord, Fairmont State and St. Thomas Aquinas will represent the East/Atlantic Region at the National Championships. Brant Kummerfeld (Adelphi) and Jared Schmader (Clarion) will qualify as individuals. Schmader qualified over Sean Burke (Ohio Valley) with a par on the 3rd playoff hole in a three-hole rain delayed playoff.
Joel Lynn (CIAA Player of the Year) began the tournament with a three over par (75). Although he had his first birdie in the second round, Lynn also accumulated four bogeys on the front nine (in rainy conditions) for a 76 (+4). On the final day, he nailed a birdie on the #2 hole (par five - 520 yards) for his best round of 74 (+2).
Derek Scott shot a 12 over par (228) for a tied fifth place. He tied with Lynn in the first round (75) and led the team in the second with a 74 (+2) score. He fell behind on day three with a +7 (79). Scott had six birdies for the tournament with three in the second round. He stood two over par in the third round after the 13th hole; but a triple bogey on the 14th set him at five over. Because he started the round at hole #3, Scott rounded hole #1 and double bogeyed for a +7 on the day.
Jeremy Ringled (Hope Mill, NC) had the most exciting hole of the tournament for the Broncos. With five holes remaining during the second round, Jeremy took down the #5 hole (a par five of 526 yards) in three strokes for the only eagle scored by FSU. Six golfers had eagles during the tournament and one other had an eagle on Jeremy's hole; the second longest hole on the Cobb Course. Ringled also had four birdies. He finished 14th overall with a +14 (77, 77 and 76).
Kevin Lyles (Charlotte, NC) rounded out the top 25 with a total score of 235 (+19). Lyles struggled on the second day with a +10 (82). He had three double bogeys or worse. Lyles attempted to counter the bogeys with four birdies through the rounds. He had a +5 on the first round and gave his best in the third with a four over par (76) score.
Virginia State University finished with a three-day team total of 974, tying the Trojans with Southern New Hampshire University for 17th.
The highest individual VSU finisher was junior Greg Hunt, who finished tied for 45th at 241 (25-over-par). Dustin Kelley was tied for 51st with a three-day score of 242 while Wes Sides was tied for 64th at 244.
Senior Kalani Britos was tied for 85th at 250 and Brian Wood was tied for 92nd at 252.
Fayetteville State will migrate south for the 23rd edition of the PGA Minority collegiate Golf Championships. The tournament will be held from May 8-10 at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The Broncos will be making a bid to win a fourth straight division crown. The 54-hole, stroke-play Championship will consist of four divisions: NCAA Men's Division I and II, and NAIA Mens and Womens. The Championship is being staged for the 12th consecutive year at the PGA Golf Club.
