The Oglethorpe men’s golf team rolled to their third SAA championship and 13th overall conference title Sunday at Greystone Golf Club in Dickson, Tennessee, posting a 1-under-par 287 to finish the tournament with an impressive 54-hole score of 10-under 854. The 20th-ranked Stormy Petrels made quick work of No. 21 Berry, beating them by 23 strokes over the tournament’s three days. They bested No. 19 Rhodes by a whopping 32 strokes.
Senior Jake Arnett took home the individual medal, becoming the first Petrel to win the individual conference title since teammate Kyle Shealy accomplished the feat as a freshman in 2016. His three-round score of 11-under 205 served as the lowest in Oglethorpe conference-tournament history. He finished his tournament with a 2-under 70 on Sunday, cruising to an eight-stroke victory.
Freshman Justin Rickerson and Shealy both finished in the top 10, tying for third at 1-over 217. Each shot an even-par 72 on Sunday to maintain their position in the top three, 12 strokes back of Arnett.
Sophomore Anthony DeRosa recorded a 1-over 73 on Sunday and finished tied for sixth at 3-over 219.
Those four all earned spots on the all-tournament team.
Freshman Isley McClure shot a 6-over 78 to finish his tournament at 10-over 226. That put him in a tie for 18th place.
The Petrels recovered from a shaky fall to play their way back into national consideration. They finished 10th or worse in all four national tournaments they competed in prior to winter break, but came back to finish sixth or better in all four national tournaments over the course of the spring. That included a win at the Adidas Intercollegiate March 11 and 12, as well as a pair of top five finishes amid stacked national fields at the Jekyll Island Collegiate Invitational and Camp Lejeune Intercollegiate Golf Championship. Now, they’ve secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships in mid-May, capping their improbable comeback and earning their way back to the national tournament after a one-year absence in 2018.
Oglethorpe will compete for the national championship from May 14-17 at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Kentucky.
