Lords in middle of pack at NCAA Championship

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. — The Las Colinas Course at Mission Inn Resort and Club proved to be a challenge for the Kenyon College golf team, as well as other competing teams, on Tuesday, the first day of the four-day 2022 NCAA Division III Golf Championship. 

The Lords posted a team score of 307, which was 23 strokes over par. That tally, however, put the Kenyon team in the middle of the field, tied for 20th place, and on the doorstep of making the day-two cut, which is set at the top-18 teams among the 43 teams in competition.

About half the teams in the field played the par-71 Las Colinas Course on Tuesday, while the others played the par-72 El Campeon Course. The teams will switch courses Wednesday, a day that has the Lords teeing off on El Campeon beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Not one team in the entire field checked out Tuesday with a team score that was under par. At the conclusion of the day, Carnegie Mellon University, which played El Campeon, owned first place in the standings with an even-par score of 288. Huntingdon College, which played Las Colinas, held down second place at three-over (287) and Methodist University, which also played El Campeon, was third at four-over (292).

Individually, seniors Andrew Kotler and Nick Lust led the way for Kenyon. Kotler played the front nine in four-over par, but came in even on the final nine to post a final score of 75, tying him for 54th place with Lust. Lust carded a plus-two on both sides.

Another senior, Eric Lifson, put up scores of three-over on each side and his final total of 77 put him in an individual tie for 85th place in the field of 221 golfers.

Kenyon’s other two golfers, Ethan Manalo and Armand Ouellette both carded 80s and are tied for 129th place.

Carnegie Mellon’s William Knauth was Tuesday’s individual leader, firing a three-under-par score of 69 on the El Campeon Course.