I’ve devoted more time to the women’s college scene, mostly
because I’m more familiar with it because I’ve been following the many recent
Pennsylvania scholastic standouts who have populated some of the top programs.
But the men’s college scene is equally compelling and it’s
time to start taking a look at some of the top teams.
So why not start at the top? Illinois, the No. 1 team in the
country, according to Golfweek, put
its depth and talent on display with a victory this week in the Louisiana
Classics held at Oakbourne Country Club in Lafayette, La.
The Illini, coached by two-time PGA Professional National
Championship winner Mike Small, had the lead going into the final round after rounds
of 277 and 281 over the 6,898-yard, par-72 Oakbourne layout. They fell back
with a final-round of 4-over 291, but held off 41st-ranked Kansas by
four shots to take the team title.
Illinois was led by two of its seniors, Thomas Detry of
Belgium and Charlie Danielson of Osceola, Wis. They went 2-3, respectively, in
the individual chase. Detry had rounds of 71, 67 and 72 to finish at 6-under
210. Danielson opened with an impressive 7-under 65 before falling back a
little with rounds of 75 and 71 for a 5-under 211 total.
A third Illinois player, Dylan Meyer, a sophomore from
Evansville, Ind., also finished under par with rounds of 70, 70 and 75 to
finish in a tie for ninth at 1-under 215.
Nick Hardy, a sophomore from Northbrook, Ill., finished tied
for 13th at 1-over 217, Edoardo Lipparelli, a freshman from Italy
who was competing as an individual, finished tied for 25th at 4-over
220 and Alex Burge, a redshirt senior from Bloomington, Ind., finished tied for
28th at 5-over 221.
The individual title went to Kansas’ Ben Welle, a senior
from Moorhead, Minn. who carded a final round of 2-under 70 to edge Detry by a
shot at 7-under 209.
Florida is ranked No. 2 and the Gators have an intriguing
freshman in Sam Horsfield of Davenport, Fla. Horsfield was an American Junior
Golf Association standout who spent the summer before his freshman season
playing in the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay and reaching the second round of match
play at the U.S. Amateur.
Horsfield’s talent was on display when he opened the Sun
Trust Gator Invitational two weeks ago with a 7-under 63 over the 6,701-yard,
par-70 Mark Bostick Golf Course, the Gators’ home course in Gainesville, Fla.
Horsfield added rounds of 68 and 70 for a 9-under 201 total
that, the talent level in college golf being what it is, was only good enough
for second place. South Florida’s Rigel Fernandes, a senior from Bradenton,
Fla., blitzed the Mark Bostick layout with rounds of 63 and 64 in the final two
rounds to finish at 13-under 197.
That also helped South Florida claim the team title with an
818 total. Florida’s Southeast Conference rival Vanderbilt finished second at
826, a shot better than the Gators’ 827 total. A strong Vanderbilt team is so
deep that junior Zach Herr, the two-time District One champion at Council Rock
North, didn’t make the trip.
South Florida, which rose to No. 16 after its victory at the
Gator Invitational, came right back this week to finish second to No. 7 Georgia
in the Querencia Cabo Collegiate at the Querencia Golf Club in Los Cabos, Mexico.
South Florida had an 844 total with the Bulldogs taking the team crown with an
834 total.
South Florida had the individual winner for the second
straight week as Aksel Olsen, a senior from Norway, had rounds of 68, 67 and 69
to edge a trio of players with a 9-under 204 total.
Georgia’s Lee McCoy (69-68-68), a senior from Clarksville,
Ga., Arkansas’ Taylor Moore (67-68-70), a senior from Edmond, Okla., and
California’s Collin Morikawa (70-68-67), a freshman from La Canada Flintridge,
Calif., shared second place at 8-under 205.
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