It's no secret that club golf is not just for fun, but is very competitive and full of good scores. With the season ending and Nationals approaching quickly, let’s take a look back at some record breaking scores posted during the fall season.
The top five teams in the NCCGA rankings (Florida, GCU, Georgia, UNCW, Minnesota) all have average differentials under +10 per round. As a comparison, only one school had a differential under +10 last semester, and that was eventual National Champion Grand Canyon.
Similarly, the top 17 individuals this semester have differentials under par! That's an amazing stat considering many of the regional tournaments are played at semi-difficult courses. Last semester had 11 players with under par differentials, and most of them were only by about 1 shot where as this semester had multiple players better than 2 shots under par.
The most impressive team though has been Florida. During their first regional tournament, the University of Florida posted a team score of 370 during the first round, putting them in good position for the second day. Then, if that wasn't enough, the team surged during the final round and looked like a Division 1 golf team posting a team score of (-15) 345. They took scores of 67,68,68,70,72 which is an NCCGA record, and rightfully claimed the number 1 ranking in the country. The team was led by Chase Baum, who also broke records by shooting a tournament total of 134 (-12) with scores of 66-68.
When asked, Chase said that he has put up some good scores in the past, but has never had back to back rounds as dynamic as those two. As a team, to have scores of 73 and 74 not count for a club golf tournament is very impressive, and Florida hopes to keep the momentum going into Nationals.
“I feel really good as a team heading into next week, we have some solid players and our top 5 is playing well. If everyone is comfortable we will put up some good scores and have a good shot at winning it all," said Baum.
Florida has not been the only dominant force this season though. Other teams such as defending National Champions Grand Canyon, newcomers UNCW, the always solid Georgia, and many others look to carry some momentum into Nationals.
Dillon Eaton from Missouri, who is a past NCCGA National Champion, has the lowest score of the season. He carded an impressive bogey free 64 in the first tournament, and ended up winning the tournament by a large margin. Performances like that show you just how talented and competitive the world of club golf can be. With Nationals this weekend, keep an eye out for plenty of low scores from Barefoot Resort as teams and individuals vie to be crowned NCCGA National Champions.