WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – What a difference a day makes.
On Wednesday the UWF men's golf team struggled to play two of the toughest holes at Orange County National with much success. But on Thursday the eighth-ranked Argonauts were as hot as the 92 degree heat, playing the final six holes at a combined 8-under.
UWF ended the day with the lowest round among the 20-team field, posting a 7-under, 277, on its way to finishing first after 54 holes of stroke play with an 838 total. That 14-under effort earned the Argonauts the No. 1 seed in the match play portion of the 2024 NCAA Division II Men's Golf National Championships. UWF will face No. 8 seed West Texas A&M in the national quarterfinals on Friday, beginning at 8:20 a.m. EDT off No. 1.
UWF's top eight finish continued the most successful current stretch in Division II men's golf as the Argos have now qualified for match play in seven of the last eight championships, making them the only school to do so.
The first place standing after 54 holes was also notable for the program. The last time a UWF squad was in first place after three rounds of stroke play came in 2008 when the squad led by four shots en route to the national championship under the old 72-hole stroke play format. Match play began at the D2 level in 2011.
On Thursday,
Cooper Tendick and
TJ Thompson played their way into top 10 finishes with rounds in the mid 60s. Tendick made five birdies, including a closing stretch with three in the final five holes and the last two for a 67 and a tie for fourth at 72-68-67=207. Thompson posted nine pars to start the day before making four birdies and an eagle to end with his second 66 of the tourney and a 208 total.
Per Ekelund also had a top-20 performance in his first NCAA Championship, tying for 18th at 69-71-72=212. He was named to the Freshman All-America Team by the Golf Coaches Association of America following the round.
Mason Minkel and
Fabian Wennerlof tied for 45th at 217.
UWF is 6-6 all-time in match play, having reached the finals once and semifinals five times. The seven appearances trail only Lynn with eight and Barry with nine.
The winner of the UWF-WT match will face the winner of No. 4 Coker and No. 5 North Georgia on Friday afternoon. The national championship match will be on Saturday morning.
