Men’s Golf Qualifies for NCAA Division II National Championship

By Chad Beattie

Sitting two shots out of the top-seven with six holes to play, Lynn University’s men’s golf team came together to shoot three-under par, finish fifth at the NCAA Division II South/Southeast Super Regional and qualify for one of seven spots in the Division II National Championship.  This marks the second consecutive NCAA national tournament appearance for the Fighting Knights, third in the last four years and seventh overall.

Nova Southeastern held a lead heading into the final round but was surpassed by Barry (868), who topped the Sharks (974) by six shots.  The Blue & White could not hang on to its third place tie, falling behind USC-Aiken (876) and host Armstrong (876), but finishing fifth with a score of 877.  Delta State (881) shot a 12-under par 276 to make the leap from 15th place to sixth along with North Alabama (881).

All seven teams will compete for a national title at The Meadows Golf Club in Allendale, Mich., from May 19-23. Twenty schools will compete over 72 holes with the top-eight teams advancing to head-to-head match play.  Lynn finished as the national runner-up in 2011 and 2013.

Ernesto Vitienes was the low finisher for the Blue & White, tying for 10th individually and finishing with a 54-hole score of 215, only five strokes back of winner Tim Crouch of Florida Southern.  The senior from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was one under par on the front nine but ran into trouble with a double-bogey on the par four No. 10 hole.  He would go on to play even golf the rest of the way for a one-over par 73.

Jose Andres Miranda played the most consistent golf over the 54-holes, posting scores of 72-73-73 en route to a 218 total, his lowest score in five tournaments.  He earned a tie for 16th.  Elliott Whitley and Keith Greene also logged scores of 73 to help Lynn to the four-over par score of 292.

Greene would be one-under through 10 holes but bogeyed three of the next four and then double-bogeyed No. 15 to move to four over.  The junior from Debary, Fla., birdied the 16th hole and then shot an eagle three on the par five 17th hole to finish with a 73.

Freshman Martin Cancino was the last of the Fighting Knights contingent, carding a 228 in his first collegiate postseason tournament.