By: Chad Beattie
Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars were announced by the Golf Coaches Association and Lynn University’s Paul McPhee and Ernesto Vitienes were among the honorees. This marks the third consecutive year and ninth time in 10 years the Fighting Knights have had at least one Scholar All-America selection. There were a total of 75 student-athletes in Division II honored, including 16 student-athletes from the Sunshine State Conference.
To be eligible for Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar status an individual must be a junior or senior academically, compete in at least three full years at the collegiate level, participate in 50-percent of his team’s competitive rounds, have a stroke-average under 76.0 in Division I, 78.0 in Division II, 77.0 in NAIA and 79.0 in Division III, and maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.2. A recipi¬ent must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at his college or university.
A senior from Perth, Scotland, McPhee posted a 74.96 stroke average in 27 rounds played while earning one top-10 finish. Additionally, he helped the Blue & White advance to the NCAA National Championship for the third time in his career.
Vitienes recorded his best season in his last hurrah. He logged a 73.85 stroke average with four top-10 finishes in a team-best 39 rounds played. The senior out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, tied a school record with a round of 64 at the Titan Winter Invite and set a new program mark by shooting eight-under par.
The Fighting Knights advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship for the second consecutive year, third time in four years and seventh overall. Lynn returns four starters from the squad, including All-Americans Elliott Whitley and Keith Greene.