Category: College

Richmond conquers closing holes to win Golfweek/Any Given Tuesday event and a Haskins exemption

“This is like icing on the cake and certainly being able to play in the Haskins next year and go to the Masters, the guys are over the moon and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.”

The Augusta/Haskins Award Invitational – for any team, but particularly a mid-major one – is what you might call a schedule upgrade. Richmond coach Adam Decker will be happy to work it into next season’s lineup after his team won the exemption at the rain-shortened Golfweek/Any Given Tuesday Collegiate on Tuesday.

Richmond had a one-shot lead on Long Island University and Valparaiso through two rounds at True Blue Golf Club in Pawley’s Island, South Carolina, and was ready do battle during a final round that was forecasted to be wet. But with a handful of holes left on the back nine, heavy rain made True Blue unplayable, and scores reverted to 36 holes, leaving Richmond with the title and Long Island and Valparaiso in a tie for second.

“We were making a couple birdies before the big monsoon hit,” Decker said. “I felt like we were in a really good spot to finish strongly.”

Not only does Richmond receive a spot in the 20205 Augusta/Haskins tournament but since the event is played in the days leading up to the Masters, each team in the field traditionally receives tickets for Monday’s practice round at Augusta National.

Scores: Golfweek/Any Given Tuesday Collegiate

“We weren’t super focused on everything that surrounds it, we just wanted to keep getting a little better each week this season,” Decker said of playing solid golf with that carrot dangling. “This is like icing on the cake and certainly being able to play in the Haskins next year and go to the Masters, the guys are over the moon and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.”

The closing holes at True Blue Golf Club in Pawley’s Island, South Carolina, require some strategy. They’re scoreable yet penal. Richmond was 3 shots off the lead when they hit that stretch in the first round but ballooned to double digits back. That stretch became a point of conversation in a subsequent team meeting.

“Our conversation the night before was let’s just get in position to have a chance on Wednesday and get it within shouting distance,” Decker said. “Lo and behold, Cole (Ekert) really put the team on his back and shot 6 under par and the other guys really hung in there and were able to get a one-shot lead going into Wednesday.”

Ekert, a junior, made seven birdies in his team-leading charge before making his sole bogey at the par-4 18th for a round of 66. He was 8 under for the tournament, which resulted in his second individual win. Valparaiso’s Caleb VanArragon was second a shot back.

As Ekert was scoring, Decker thinks his teammates might have picked up on the buzz from spectators. He didn’t bring it up. Regardless, his team navigated the closing holes deftly and that ultimately made the difference.

Richmond's Cole Ekert (Golfweek photo)
Richmond’s Cole Ekert (Golfweek photo)

This is Richmond’s first team title since the 2021 VCU Shootout. It’s well-timed momentum leading into the Atlantic 10 Championship in three weeks. Decker said this is a deep team with competitive qualifying.

“We’ve had a lot of different lineup looks trying to figure out what makes the most sense for the end of the year and conference championship, so I think we’re just trying to figure out the right pieces to the puzzle at this point.”

Richmond is going to need to be prepared to go really low at the conference championship, Decker knows, so the focus in qualifying leading up to that tournament will be getting comfortable in the red. That might involve playing shorter tees in practice – anything to reinforce birdies.

“I think the mindset has to kind of evolve to a spot where you’re really comfortable being 5 under par and looking for one more,” he said.

Postseason is the time of year when coaches are looking to find out what their teams are made of, and just as Decker’s squad showed him something at True Blue, so did Ben Belfield’s Long Island men.

Under bleak final-round conditions, Long Island mounted a charge, getting to 7 under before the course became unplayable. They had a lead on Richmond entering the final stretch and Belfield took a lot away from that performance – particularly what it shows him about mental fortitude with such a massive opportunity on the line.

“For them to come down against a good field on a good golf course and show themselves and show other people that we’re not just some scrappy northeast program, these kids can play,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll see more of that as we go through the rest of the season, but it’s a big deal. It was really nice to see.”

Annika Foundation announces More Than Golf Invitational featuring mid-major conference champions

The tournament course, Old Barnwell Golf Club, is also the site of the Annika Development Program.

The Annika Foundation announced a new women’s college golf tournament for mid-major programs, the More Than Golf Invitational, co-hosted by Augusta University and Columbia University. The event will take place March 27-30, 2025, at Old Barnwell Golf Club in Aiken, South Carolina.

The individual medalist will receive up to three complimentary starts on the Annika Women’s All Pro Tour throughout the summer.

“The More Than Golf Invitational speaks to the heart of our mission — to develop, empower and advance young women through golf and in life — and we are very excited to kick things off next year at Old Barnwell,” said Annika Sorenstam. “We’re grateful to our partners at Old Barnwell and our host universities, Augusta and Columbia, for helping us make this dream a reality. This tournament will give the student-athletes a chance to test themselves at a premier golf venue, while providing memorable experiences, life, and career advice.”

Planned programming at the More Than Golf Invitational will include relationship building opportunities through a college-am to be held before the tournament, as well as an executive women’s reception and dinner where players will have the chance to meet and develop relationships with successful women across a variety of industries.

The More Than Golf Invitational will host 12 teams, including those from Augusta and Columbia. Each year, 10 conference champions from selected mid-major conferences will receive invitations to participate. The following year, 10 other mid-major conferences will receive invitations to play. The 2024 team champions from the following conferences will receive invitations to play in the inaugural More Than Golf Invitational: ASUN, Big East, Big Sky, Conference USA, Horizon League, Metro Atlantic Athletic, Mountain West, Patriot League, Southern and Summit League.

“The missions of The Annika Foundation and Old Barnwell synergize perfectly with the More Than Golf Invitational — creating a once in a lifetime competitive experience that hopefully impacts its participants far beyond the course of play,” said Augusta coach Caroline Haase-Hegg. “We’re thrilled to co-host this event with Columbia University and create a deserved opportunity for these student athletes to take center stage.”

The tournament course, Old Barnwell Golf Club, is also the site of the Annika Development Program, which launched in 2023. Through the program, the Annika Foundation provides four ambassadors each year with the opportunity to continue their pursuit of a professional golf career. Old Barnwell, which opened in 2023, is a mission-driven club focused on bringing people together through golf.

Stanford’s Rachel Heck pens first-person essay to explain why she won’t go pro

“After a couple of years of painful deliberation, I have come to realize that I do not want to play professional golf.”

This spring, after Rachel Heck completes her senior year at Stanford, she’ll put her golf clubs away and take on an internship in private equity. She’ll also be pinned as a Lieutenant of the United States Air Force. Heck explained her reasons for not turning professional in a first-person essay on nolayingup.com.

“I was strongly considering attributing my decision to my injuries,” wrote Heck, who has grappled with several in recent years. “It is true that even if I wanted to, I do not know if my body would hold up on tour. But frankly, after a couple of years of painful deliberation, I have come to realize that I do not want to play professional golf.

“I do not want a life on the road and in the public eye. I no longer dream of the U.S. Open trophies and the Hall of Fame. And I realize now that these dreams were never what my dad intended when he first put a club in my hand.”

Heck qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open at age 15 and, as a hotshot junior, suffered a back injury that left her sidelined from the game. Without golf, she felt lost, and during a period of darkness, decided that she wanted to pursue the Air Force ROTC to find something more. Heck’s parents told her she was crazy, but she persisted.

As a freshman at Stanford, with dreams of playing on the LPGA and serving in the Air Force in full throttle, Heck set an NCAA scoring record (69.72) en route to sweeping the postseason.

Heck won six times in nine starts in 2021, including her last five events. She became the third player in NCAA history to sweep the postseason, winning the Pac-12 Championship, NCAA regionals and nationals. She posted 15 of 25 rounds in the 60s, including 12 consecutive.

But, as her college career progressed, more injuries followed. While Heck intends to pass on the professional life, she does plan to continue to play amateur golf, following a similar path set by Wake Forest grad Emilia Migliaccio.

“I have grappled with anger, hope, depression, joy, and everything in between,” Heck wrote, “but amid each trial in which I so desperately sought the clarity of a deeper meaning, God always showed me the next step. Right now, the next step is not professional golf.”

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Sadie Englemann poised to step out from the shadow of Stanford teammates at Augusta National

Englemann admits she’d be lying if she said the lack of attention never bothered her.

Sadie Englemann used to bring her iPad to class in high school to watch the pros play Amen Corner on Masters.com during class. The surefooted Texan knew from a young age that she wanted to one day compete at the highest level.

Folks who follow women’s amateur golf even a little bit know two of Englemann’s highly decorated teammates at Stanford – Rose Zhang and Rachel Heck. They might even know Megha Ganne, who dazzled at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open when she played her way into the final group on Sunday as a high schooler.

But Englemann?

It’s tough to step out from the shadows cast by the greatest amateur player in the modern game (Zhang),  and the hotshot golfer who will graduate as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force (Heck).

Englemann admits she’d be lying if she said the lack of attention never bothered her. A top-10 finish at a tournament barely gets a mention when her teammates are winning every week.

“But when it’s two of your best friends in the world,” said Englemann, “it’s hard to be jealous.”

Sadie Englemann (courtesy Stanford athletics)

Englemann, now in her senior year, came to the realization if she wanted that kind of spotlight, she’d have to raise her game.

Heading into her second Augusta National Women’s Amateur April 3-6, Englemann ranks 38th in the world and boasts back-to-back top-five finishes in her last two college starts. She’s the highest-ranked Cardinal of the four who qualified for the field. Heck, still plagued by a shoulder injury, is expected to play.

The two ANWA appearances will bookend Englemann’s career at Stanford. She missed the cut the first time around, but one gets the feeling her time is coming.

“Sadie absolutely loves golf,” said Stanford coach Anne Walker. “She eats, sleeps and breathes golf all day long. Because of that, she’s always wanting to get better. She’s obsessed about getting better.”

And her game since coming to Palo Alto, said Walker, is like night and day.

“I was a good player, and I had some success in my junior career,” said Englemann, “but I was also a hothead. Anyone would tell you that.”

Unable to control her emotions on the course, a bad stretch of holes would invariably balloon into a bad round. It’s not that she gave up on the round.

“I would try so hard to get back to even par,” she explained, “that I would blow up mentally.”

A more mature Englemann has learned how to stabilize herself, pointing to significant progress in recent months.

From a technical standpoint, Walker rerouted Englemann’s swing to help her play with a fade. Englemann came to Stanford hitting a draw that sometimes became uncontrollable.

While she doesn’t have a textbook swing, Walker notes, Englemann is comfortable with her own style and has learned much about her game. In 2022, Englemann helped the Cardinal win the team NCAA title.

“To play at the highest level,” said Walker, “you have to know yourself well.”

Englemann, who will graduate in June with a degree in science, technology and society, was starstruck at her first U.S. Women’s Open last summer at Pebble Beach. At the same time, the exposure gave her confirmation she could perform among the best in the world.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjglzIDPEe7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Zhang won her first LPGA start as a professional last spring after claiming both the ANWA and NCAA titles.

Englemann notes that Walker never gave Zhang special treatment at Stanford. She qualified for tournaments like everyone else.

When Walker talked to the media, Englemann continued, she never focused on one player. The chemistry felt among the Stanford players – with Zhang at the center – was strong, and it was real.

Zhang propelled everyone around her to get better.

“Freshman year Sadie would’ve gone (to ANWA) just overwhelmed by the stage and all the great players,” said Walker. “Almost feeling like she was an outsider looking in.

“Senior year Sadie believes she belongs.”

North Carolina, North Georgia among those atop latest Bushnell/Golfweek coaches polls for men’s college golf

North Carolina, North Georgia, Methodist, Keiser, Odessa, Mississippi Gulf Coast are the No. 1 teams.

The latest Bushnell/Golfweek coaches polls for men’s college golf are out and there’s a new No. 1 in Division I.

North Carolina has flipped spots with Auburn at the top, garnering 12 first-place votes to the Tigers’ 10, while also collecting six more overall points. Vanderbilt received two first-place votes and sits in third with Arizona State and Ole Miss rounding out the top five.

The big movers this week are Texas Tech (up six spots to No. 8 and Alabama (up 12 spots to No. 9).

Texas A&M and Georgia entered the poll this week after being unranked last time.

Bushnell/Golfweek Division I Coaches Poll – March 22

Rank University Points Previous
1 North Carolina (12) 582 2
2 Auburn (10) 576 1
3 Vanderbilt (2) 561 3
4 Arizona State 529 4
5 Ole Miss 491 6
6 Washington 435 5
7 Tennessee 423 7
8 Texas Tech 422 14
9 Alabama 381 21
10 Florida State 360 13
11 Arizona 355 8
12 Virginia 337 12
13 Oklahoma 319 9
14 Arkansas 313 10
15 Georgia Tech 295 11
16 East Tennessee State 241 16
17 Florida 230 15
18 Texas 168 20
19 New Mexico 156 19
T-20 California 144 18
T-20 Illinois 144 17
22 Texas A&M 97 RV
23 Georgia 75 RV
24 Oregon 61 25
25 Duke 32 23

Others receiving votes: Notre Dame (18), Mississippi State (12), Ohio State (9), North Florida (7), Stanford (7), Louisville (5), Oklahoma State (5), Wake Forest (4), Chattanooga (3), San Diego State (1), VCU (1).

North Georgia
University of North Georgia men’s golf.

North Georgia is No. 1 once again in Div. II.

For the sixth straight poll, the Nighthawks swept all 21 first-place votes and collected 596 points overall.

Bushnell/Golfweek Division II Coaches Poll – March 22

Rank University Points Previous
1 North Georgia (21) 596 1
2 Lincoln Memorial 566 2
3 Georgia Southwestern (2) 540 3
4 Grand Valley State (2) 525 4
5 Oklahoma Christian 483 T-9
6 Lee 459 5
7 USC Aiken 443 6
8 Florida Southern 440 7
9 Colorado Christian 394 T-9
10 Lander 379 12
11 Saint Leo 343 8
12 Nova Southeastern 315 18
13 Dallas Baptist 275 19
14 Colorado State Pueblo 233 11
15 Midwestern State 227 16
16 Barton 204 21
17 West Florida 200 17
18 Central Oklahoma 199 23
19 Henderson State 196 14
20 Texas-Permian Basin 167 13
21 Colorado School of Mines 77 20
22 Texas-Tyler 73 NR
23 Coker 69 22
24 Shorter 68 NR
25 Chico State 61 25

Others receiving votes: West Texas A&M (39), Tampa (35), Columbus State (34), Ferris State (30), Barry (25), Cal State East Bay (16), Cal State Monterey Bay (16), Western New Mexico (14), Lenoir Rhyne (11), Missouri S&T (9), Carson-Newman (7), Missouri Southern State (7), Central Missouri (6), Indianapolis (6), Southern Arkansas (5), Union (TN) (4), Cal State San Marcos (3), Flagler (3), Colorado Mesa (2), Tusculum (2), Rollins (1), Valdosta State (1), Virginia Union (1), Wayne State (MI) (1), Wingate (1).

Bushnell/Golfweek Division III Coaches Poll – March 22

Rank University Points Previous
1 Methodist (8) 368 1
2 Emory (7) 367 2
3 Oglethorpe 328 3
4 Illinois Wesleyan 322 4
5 Carnegie Mellon 306 6
6 Washington & Lee 301 10
7 Lynchburg 291 5
8 Bethel (MN) 244 8
9 Sewanee 243 12
10 Aurora 236 11
11 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 230 7
12 Saint John’s (MN) 219 9
13 Huntingdon 213 20
14 Babson 165 13
15 Texas-Dallas 159 14
16 Wittenberg 145 15
17 Pomona-Pitzer 131 17
18 Kenyon 91 25
19 Averett 87 16
20 Christopher Newport 80 18
21 Wisconsin-Eau Claire 78 19
22 Guilford 71 21
23 Trinity (CT) 39 23
24 Rochester 29 RV
25 Hampden-Sydney 28 RV

Others receiving votes: LeTourneau (25), Gustavus Adolphus (14), Willamette (13), RPI (11), Piedmont (10), Whitworth (9), Trinity (TX) (7), Whitman (6), California Lutheran (4), Franklin & Marshall (2), Gettysburg (2), Redlands (1).

Bushnell/Golfweek NAIA Coaches Poll – March 22

Rank University Points Previous
1 Keiser (7) 247 2
2 Dalton State (3) 243 1
3 British Columbia 224 3
4 OUAZ 220 4
5 Lindsey Wilson 201 7
6 Wayland Baptist 200 5
7 Texas Wesleyan 198 6
8 Truett McConnell 177 8
9 Coastal Georgia 161 9
10 Southeastern (FL) 154 12
11 Cumberland (TN) 141 10
12 Bellevue 120 11
13 William Carey 116 14
14 Oklahoma City 109 15
15 Campbellsville 101 13
16 Houston-Victoria 95 18
17 Point 90 T-16
18 Lawrence Tech 88 T-16
19 MidAmerica Nazarene 71 21
20 Columbia (MO) 70 NR
21 Webber International 57 22
22 USAO 39 NR
23 Ave Maria 38 20
24 Southwestern Christian 35 19
25 Morningside 13 23

Others Receiving Votes: Taylor (10), Lewis-Clark State (7), Reinhardt (5), Victoria-BC (4), The Master’s (2), Northwestern Ohio (1).

Bushnell/Golfweek NJCAA Div. I Coaches Poll – March 22

Rank University Points Previous
1 Odessa (5) 58 T-2
T-2 Indian Hills (1) 48 4
T-2 Midland 48 1
4 New Mexico JC 43 T-2
5 Hutchinson 36 5
6 Central Alabama 26 6
7 McLennan 21 7
8 Ranger 20 9
9 Dodge City 12 8
10 Western Texas 8 10

Others receiving votes: NMMI (4), Eastern Florida State (3), Iowa Western (2), Weatherford (1).

Bushnell/Golfweek NJCAA Div. II Coaches Poll – March 22

Rank University Points Previous
1 Mississippi Gulf Coast (3) 30 1
2 South Mountain 25 2
3 Parkland 23 3
4 Kirkwood 22 4
5 Roane State 17 5
6 Des Moines Area 16 6
7 East Central 11 8
8 Meridian 8 7
9 Jones 5 T-10
10 Iowa Central 4 9

Others receiving votes: Alexandria College (2).

After South Carolina team van crash, Nathan Franks details accident and injury that will sideline him through SECs

“It’s not the best memory to have, but it’s a day I will always remember.”

It’s safe to say Nathan Franks is never going to forget about the Schenkel Invitational.

Sure, he won the tournament for his second victory in three months as a junior on the South Carolina golf team. But the trip home is what’s going to be the most memorable.

The Gamecocks’ team van t-boned a car that ran a red light on a highway in Waynesboro, Georgia, about an hour and a half from Columbia, South Carolina, on its way home from the tournament Sunday. Sitting in the passenger seat, Franks initially thought he was just sore from the collision. Turns out, he has a hairline fracture on his right elbow, and South Carolina’s best player will be out through at least the SEC Championship.

“I knew I was sore, but I didn’t think there was really anything wrong,” Franks told Golfweek. “But when I woke up the next morning, I couldn’t straighten it.”

Outside of whiplash, there were no other major injuries to players or coaches in the van. South Carolina was not at fault, per the police report.

South Carolina’s Nathan Franks. (Photo: South Carolina Athletics)

Franks recalls the accident vividly.

The team was close to pulling off into a gas station to get some donuts about 100 yards past the intersection where the accident occurred.

“We had a green light,” Franks said. “This lady just kept going through the red light and tried to turn left. She pulled straight into us, and then we crashed into a Georgia Power truck.”

Gamecocks assistant Brady Gregor was driving the sprinter van, which included eight passengers in total. Gregor’s quick thinking to swerve right avoided a direct collision, but Gregor said he thinks the power truck also saved the van from going off an 8-foot embankment.

Franks’ parents, who were attending the tournament in Statesboro, Georgia, pulled up to the scene shortly after the accident happened. After determining everything was OK, they loaded most of the equipment into their car while some players loaded into it and others into head coach Bill MacDonald’s car, who was driving a couple miles ahead of the van.

Upon getting back to campus, Franks went through a normal routine, including unloading clubs and gear, before going to bed. He and others underwent a wellness evaluation.

The next day is when he found out about the elbow injury. He would be stuck in a sling for a month, being sidelined through at least the SEC Championship.

All of this coming in a stretch of the best golf of his life.

“Obviously I’m not happy about it,” Franks said. “You work so hard your whole life and then to be told you can’t do anything for a month. At the same time, I can’t beat myself up about it. It’s not something I was expecting or hoping for, but all I can do is stay positive.”

The crash happened two years and two days after the University of the Southwest crash in West Texas that killed seven members of the golf teams, including their coach.

Franks said he’s encouraged the injury isn’t a long-term one, and he’s hopeful to return by NCAA Regionals to help the Gamecocks make a push for the NCAA Championship. But even he knows he’ll have to be patient and not push anything to risk further injury or prolonging the healing process.

Being a right-hand dominant person, Franks said it was difficult trying to take notes in class Monday night, and he’s having to learn to brush his teeth and do other previously minuscule tasks with his left hand. Even driving is hard, from having to change the gear and turn the keys reaching across his body.

However, the temporary difficulty is a far cry from what could have happened.

The trophy survived the crash, as Franks put it back in its box before heading home. Safe to say there’s going to be plenty of memories when looking at it in the future.

“I’ll definitely never forget it,” Franks said. “Played great and the bonding we had as a team. And you’re never going to forget a car wreck, are you? Especially with it all happening in the same day.

“It’s not the best memory to have, but it’s a day I will always remember.”

South Carolina’s top player suffers injury after team van crash in Georgia

Outside of whiplash, there were no other major injuries.

The South Carolina men’s golf team was involved in an accident Sunday when driving home from its tournament in Statesboro, Georgia.

The team van t-boned a car that ran a red light on a two-lane highway in Waynesboro, Georgia, about an hour and a half from Columbia, South Carolina. Junior Nathan Franks, who earlier that day picked up the win in the Schenkel Invitational at Forest Heights Country Club, was injured and will be out through at least the SEC Championship, assistant coach Brady Gregor told Golfweek.

Outside of whiplash, there were no other major injuries to players or coaches in the van. South Carolina was not at fault, per the police report.

South Carolina men’s golf team van after the accident. (Photo: Brady Gregor)

Franks, a junior from Roebuck, South Carolina, finished off his second victory this spring and was in the middle of the best stretch of golf in his life before the accident. He won the Thomas Sharkey Individual Collegiate in February before picking up his latest win Sunday.

The injury was a hairline fracture in his right elbow. He will be in a sling for four weeks and be evaluated after to determine how much he has healed.

“He’s the type of kid that if he could play through it, he would,” Gregor said.

The van was traveling roughly 40 miles per hour when a Jeep Grand Cherokee ran a red light while making a left turn, causing a collision. The two vehicles then careened into a truck parked in a turn lane when the van came to a stop and the car spun. The driver of the vehicle attempted to drive away but got about 100 yards away before the car couldn’t go anymore.

Gregor was driving with Franks in the passenger seat and six others in the back of the van at the time of the collision.

South Carolina returns to action this week at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate in Awendaw, South Carolina.

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Duke women shoot third-lowest round in NCAA history, win Florida State Match Up

It set a new Blue Devils 18-hole record.

Duke is going need to update its women’s golf record books after its latest victory.

The Blue Devils won the Florida State Match Up on Saturday at Seminole Legacy in Tallahassee, Florida. Duke shot 30 under to beat the hosts, Florida State, by 10 shots to pick up its second win of the year. However, it’s the second-round performance that’s the talk of the tournament.

Duke shot 24-under 264, the third-lowest 18-hole score in NCAA women’s college golf history, on Friday afternoon. It set a new Duke 18-hole record, put the Blue Devils at 31-under 545 after 36 holes, also a new school record.

Meanwhile, freshman Katie Li picked up the first win of her college career, finishing at 12 under to win by three shots over Florida State’s Lottie Woad and Baylor’s Rosie Belsham. Li’s mark of 12 under after 36 holes was a school record, and she became the first freshman to record consecutive rounds of 66 or better.

For legendary coach Dan Brooks, it’s his 143rd victory leading the Blue Devils, the most by any women’s golf coach in NCAA Division I history. It’s also the lowest winning score in the history of the tournament.

Stanford takes top spot in Mizuno WGCA coaches poll for March 15

This is the second poll of the 2024 spring season.

The Women’s Golf Coaches Association has announced the results of the latest Mizuno WGCA Coaches Poll. This is the second poll of the 2024 spring season.

In Division I, Stanford jumped to the top spot after receiving 15 first-place votes, while Wake Forest, the defending national champion, dropped to No. 2 with three votes. UCLA received one first-place vote to climb three spots to No. 3, and South Carolina moved up one spot to No. 4. Rounding out the top five is LSU after jumping five spots.

Dallas Baptist claims the top spot in Division II after receiving nine first-place votes.

College golf: Best practice facilities

Here’s a look at the complete Mizuno WGCA coaches polls for March 15.

Division I

Rank Team (First-place votes) Points
1 Stanford (15) 471
2 Wake Forest (3) 445
3 UCLA (1) 437
4 South Carolina 416
5 LSU 407
6 Arkansas 372
7 USC 361
8 Texas 335
9 Northwestern 309
10 Auburn 297
11 Florida 249
12 Ole Miss 248
13 Oregon 243
14 Arizona 238
15 Arizona State 192
16 Pepperdine 187
17 Texas A&M 182
18 Clemson 168
19 Duke 137
20 Central Florida 104
21 Florida State 101
22 Vanderbilt 72
23 Virginia 71
24 SMU 59
25 San Jose State 22

Receiving votes: North Carolina (13); Purdue (10); USF (10); Georgia (9); Washington (5); Houston (2); Michigan State (1); Mississippi State (1); California (1)

Division II

Rank Team (First-place votes) Points
1 Dallas Baptist (9) 294
2 Nova Southeastern (2) 284
3 Flagler College 270
4 Findlay 265
5 Anderson (1) 256
6 Indianapolis 232
7 West Texas A&M 225
8 Rollins 214
9 Lynn 213
10 St. Mary’s (Texas) 176
11 Central Missouri 173
12 Henderson State 154
13 Barry 152
14 Lee 146
15 Saint Leo 142
16 Midwestern State 119
17 CSU San Marcos 114
18 Wingate 108
19 Lander 83
20 Grand Valley State 61
21 Tampa 56
22 Oklahoma Christian 50
23 North Georgia 47
24 Florida Southern 23
25 Southwestern Oklahoma State 20

Receiving votes: CSU East Bay (11); CSU Monterey Bay (7); Rogers State (4); Eckerd College (1)

Division III

Rank Team (First-place votes) Points
1 Carnegie Mellon (4) 335
2 Pomona-Pitzer (3) 326
3 Williams College (5) 315
4 George Fox (2) 308
5 Emory 295
6 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 290
7 Redlands 286
8 Washington St. Louis 232
9 St. Catherine 229
10 Washington and Lee 227
11 Amherst 194
T-12 Illinois Wesleyan 184
T-12 Wellesley 184
14 Texas at Dallas 166
15 Trinity (Texas) 155
16 Centre 139
17 Carleton 116
18 Hamilton 113
19 Mary Hardin-Baylor 110
20 Grinnell 83
21 Rhodes 72
22 Middlebury 55
23 Methodist 53
24 Sewanee: University of the South 33
25 Chapman 19

Receiving votes: Wisconsin, Whitewater (10); Denison (9); Gustavus Adolphus College (4); Whitman College (4); Huntingdon College (3); Lynchburg (1)

NAIA

Rank Team (First-place votes) Points
1 British Columbia (8) 80
2 Keiser 71
3 Oklahoma City 65
4 SCAD Savannah 55
5 Dalton State College 49
6 Texas Wedleyan 39
7 William Carey 32
8 Embry Riddle Aeronautical 20
9 Truett McConnell 19
10 Ottawa-Arizona 5

Receiving votes: Loyola University New Orleans (3); Lewis-Clark State College (1); Oregon Institute of Technology (1)

North Carolina outlasts Alabama, weather conditions to win The Hayt

Individual champion Devin Patel, a Virginia junior, finished with five groups remaining on the course and with a 71.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Nothing was easy in the final round of The Hayt on Monday at the Sawgrass Country Club.

Not for team champion North Carolina, whose No. 1 player Austin Greaser dumped his last two tee shots in the water to fall out the lead.

Not for individual champion Devin Patel, a Virginia junior who finished with five groups remaining on the course and with a 71, won by one shot over graduate Canon Claycomb of Alabama (74) and sophomore Ethan Evans of Duke (73) at 3-under-par 213.

But both found a way to win.

The Tar Heels, second in the Bushnell/Golfweek rankings, won their ninth tournament over the last two seasons by four shots over Alabama at 3-under 861, despite chilly, windy conditions most of the day.

Virginia junior Devin Patel won the individual title at The Hayt, the University of North Florida’s invitational at the Sawgrass Country Club. (Photo by Garry Smits/Florida Times-Union)

Patel helped move Virginia to third at 4-over and Ohio State finished fourth at 12-over.

The conditions were difficult but UNC improved on its three-shot lead at the end of the second round, thanks to junior Maxwell Ford’s 69, a 72 from senior Dylan Menante and 74s by Greaser and senior Peter Fountain.

Menante and Greaser tied for sixth at even-par 216, Fountain tied for 15th at 2-over and Maxwell Ford tied for 20th at 4-over.

The Tar Heels led by eight shots with three groups having between one and three holes to play and Greaser had a one-shot lead. But the margin fell to four after Greaser double-bogeyed the par-4 17th hole following the first of his doused tee shots and he knocked his tee shot at the par-5 18th into a small pond on the right, leading to a bogey.

It didn’t matter to the team total. Menante and Fountain, playing ahead of Greaser, both birdied No. 18 to provide enough cushion.

“Winning in our sport is hard,” said UNC coach Andrew DiBitetto. “The guys did a good job of battling and finding a way to pick up a win on a really challenging course and in some pretty challenging conditions.”

Patel won his first college tournament with a simple formula. Keep the ball low, in the fairway and make his hay on the par-5 holes.

He birdied Nos. 4, 11 and 18, the latter on a 2-foot putt after a good chip from the right side to a back-left pin.

“I usually hit the ball low and I’m pretty accurate so the conditions actually played in my favor,” Patel said. “I’ve been working pretty hard on my game and this week showed me I’ve been working on the right things.

Virginia coach Bowen Sargent was delighted with Patel’s victory, considering Ben James (a tie for 11th at 1-over) and Bryan Lee (tie for 27th at 6-over) are both among the top 40 on the Bushnell/Golfweek rankings.

Patel also finished atop a field that contained five 2023 Walker Cup members and five players among the top 25 on the PGA Tour University rankings.

“Going into the week we thought this course would be great for him,” Sargent said. “He’s hit it really straight and he’s a good iron player. It was a good venue for him. On our team, it’s hard enough to beat Ben and Bryan but he played great. We’re very proud of him.”

The host team, University of North Florida, finished ninth to break a streak of five consecutive top-five finishes in its event, with a victory and two seconds. Senior Robbie Higgins (75) finished in a tie for sixth at even-par, his third finish of sixth or higher in The Hayt.