Scot Golfers’ Spring Debut an Impressive Third-Place Showing

Joe Punturi

In a field filled primarily by NCAA Div. II schools and NAIA teams, The College of Wooster stepped up to the competition, placing third during its spring debut at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian College Invitational, held at the Foxfire Golf & Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C., on March 15-16.

Barton College, currently the No. 20 ranked team in Div. II, won the event, scoring a two-day total of 603 at the par-72, 6834-yard course. St. Edward’s University, also a nationally-rated Div. II squad, was runner-up (615), while the Scots shot 312 and 318 for a 630 total to take third in the 20-team field.

"Given that we’ve played golf for a week, I am just tickled with (this) result," commented Wooster coach Rich Danch. "The guys grinded it out under really lousy conditions. It rained for a good part of both rounds."

Joe Punturi paved the way for the Scots, earning all-tournament honors with a tie for fourth-place in the individual standings. The junior shot back-to-back 76s for a 152 total, five strokes off the pace of medalist Courtney Faircloth of Barton (73-74).

Not far behind Punturi was junior teammate Michael Tilden, who carded a 78 and 79 to tie for 12th with a 157, while also scoring on both days for Wooster was freshman Andy Van Horn, fresh off of a run to the "Elite 8" in the NCAA Div. III Tournament with the men’s basketball team. Van Horn produced rounds of 79 and 81 to total 160 and tie for 25th-place.

Also for the Scots, junior Chris Billow and sophomore Brandon Tylka tied for 50th (84-82=166) and 67th (79-91=170), respectively.

"I’m really happy with what we did for this early in the season, and it gives me cause for optimism for the rest of the (year)," concluded Danch.