Men's Golf 5/6/2022 12:00:00 AM

Trevecca Men's Golf | Trojans Positioned to Make Run at NCAA Division II Finals

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. – The Trevecca Nazarene University men's golf team and the 20-team field battled through soggy conditions on Thursday at the 2022 NCAA Division II Midwest/Central Region Tournament. The teams opened play at the par-72, 7707-yard Purgatory Golf Club and attempted to beat the weather and complete the first and second round on Thursday. The region was originally scheduled for one 18-hole round on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

The Trojans are in ninth place, needing to make the top six to advance to the NCAA Division II Championship Finals. Trevecca followed up their first-round 290 with a 309 in round two. The 290-309=599 places them three spots back of advancing.

A closer look finds Trevecca three strokes back of seventh place and four back of sixth. Trevecca is just six strokes back of third place. The downside of the numbers is there are 11 teams bunched within 10 strokes of that third place. Meaning there are 11 teams in strong contention of making the last four slots for the NCAA Finals. So, it will take a strong effort by all five TNU golfers to make a run to the top six. The team did just that in 2019 and made it all the way to a fifth-place finish nationally.

Devin Speight leads the Trojan effort with a 143 after carding a 68 and 75 in the first two rounds.

*Regional Live Scoring

ROUND ONE

The teams did complete the first round on Thursday and the Trojans stood fourth overall with a two-over-par 290. Devin Speight was tied for the overall lead with a four-under-par 68.

ROUND TWO

The teams started the second round on Thursday but were unable to finish as the conditions worsened and light became a factor. The teams were able to finish round two on Friday morning.

ROUND THREE

On Saturday, the Trojans begin teeing off at 10:00 AM (CT) from hole number one. Matthew Jeffe is the first to go off, with Devin Speight teeing off last at 10:40 AM CT.

The Trojans are grouped with Missouri St. Louis and Southern Indiana in the final round.

To advance as a team, the Trojans need to finish in the top six. Outside of the top six teams, the next two low individuals not on an advancing team earn a bid to the NCAA Division II Finals.

TREVECCA LEADERBOARD

		RD1	RD2	RD3	TOTAL
9	TREVECCA	290	309		599
t3	Devin Speight	68	75		143
t20	Blain Turner	75	72		147
t61	Benjamin Ramos	72	81		153
t86	Jonah Manning	77	81		158
t86	Matthew Jeffe	75	83		153

TROJAN PLAYER NOTES

With his first-round 72, Benjamin Ramos turned in his seventh par-or-better round of the year, it is his tenth career.
The opening round 68 by Devin Speight is his eleventh career par-or-better round.
Speight recorded his best 36-hole total of the year with a 143 through two rounds.
Speight tied for the sixth-lowest average on the par-four holes, he is even-par (4.0).
Speight is tied for fourth in the field with 27 pars.
Jonah Manning and Speight are tied for the seventh-lowest average on the par-five holes, averaging 4.75 (two-under) per hole.

TNU TEAM SCENE

Trevecca leads the field with the lowest average on the par-five holes, averaging 4.95 (two-under) per hole.
The team combined for 24 birdies, tied for the fourth-most in the field.

TOURNAMENT NOTES

Grand Valley State leads the team contest and has the low individual as well. GVSU shot a 285-294=579. Charles Delong is the low individual with a 69-71=140.

REGION DETAILS

This is the fifth NCAA postseason appearance for the Trevecca men's golf team.

The Trojans are the No. 9 seed in the Midwest Region 2022 NCAA Super Regional (Central/Midwest).

The University of Indianapolis is hosting the NCAA Super Regional May 5-7, 2022 at Purgatory Golf Club in Noblesville, Indiana.

The David Head, Trevecca Director of Golf, coached Trojans qualified as one of seven at large bids for the 10-team NCAA Midwest Regional.

On each side of the region, there are 10 teams competing along with the top four individuals from that region's member schools not on a qualifying team.

NCAA DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

At a minimum, the top three teams and the top two student-athletes not with a team from each regional will advance to the NCAA Division II Championship Finals May 16-20 at TPC Michigan in Detroit, Michigan. This year, the Central/Midwest Regional will see six teams advance and the next two individuals who are not on advancing teams.

The remaining eight team berths will be allocated based on the regions represented in the prior year's head-to-head medal play portion of the championships, with the maximum number of teams from a given region capped at seven. The finals will be hosted by Wayne State (Michigan) and the Detroit Sports Commission.

TREVECCA REGION HISTORY

This is the fifth regional (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) for the men's team since moving to NCAA Division II play 10 years ago.

Last season, the 2021 campaign, saw Trevecca earn an AQ (Automatic Qualifier) bid following their 2021 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championship. It was the seventh championship for the Trojans in the first eight years of the conference event. *The 2020 tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.

In 2019, Trevecca advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships, finishing fifth in the country after advancing to the 2019 NCAA Div. II Finals.

Trevecca also qualified for the regional round in 2016 and 2018.

THE 2022 SUPER REGION FIELD

Teams and individuals are listed in rank order.

There are three Great Midwest Athletic Conference teams in the field, including tournament champion Tiffin University, runner-up and No. 1 seed Findlay, and Trevecca. There are four GLVC teams including GLVC-champion and third-seeded Missouri-St. Louis, No. 5-seed Southern Indiana, No. 4 seed, host No. 4 seed UIndy, and No. 7 seed McKendree. Tenth-seeded Davenport is the GLIAC champion and is joined by fellow league members Grand Valley (No. 2 seed) and Wayne State (No. 6 seed).

MIDWEST REGION