Spring birdies

Ferris men’s golf advances to National Championship

For the second time in the past three years, the Ferris men’s golf team is headed to the NCAA Division II National Championship.

The Bulldogs wrapped up the Division II Super Regional Championship Saturday, May 11 in a tie for third place with Arkansas Technological University (Russellville, Ark.). Sitting ahead of the Bulldogs were Lindenwood University (Lindenwood, Miss.) in first and the University of Missouri-St. Louis in second.

Regional Championship action kicked off Thursday, May 9 and Ferris found themselves in eighth place at the conclusion of round one. After a red-hot second round however, the Bulldogs rocketed up the scoreboards, moving into the top five.

Ferris senior Andrew Hammett led the team through three rounds, shooting a 215 total for the tournament. Hammett struck the ball well in the first round, recording a 69-stroke performance that left him tied for first at the time. After shooting a 73 in both the second and third rounds, he would finish fourth individually.

Another Ferris senior in Jack Weller found himself in the top ten as well, finishing competition with a score of 217, which landed him in a tie for seventh.

Ten teams competed in the Regional Championship, with the top six teams advancing to the National Championship.

Saturday’s finish sends the Bulldogs to their 16th NCAA Division II National Championship appearance in school history and their second in the past three years. In 2017, the Bulldogs ended the season with a national quarterfinal finish under head coach Kyle Wittenbach.

Ferris has had representation in 17-straight NCAA Division II National Tournaments as Hammett earned an individual appearance in 2018. The streak ranks among the longest active streaks in the nation.

The National Championship for 2019 will be held at The Resort at Glade Springs in Daniels, West Virginia. Competition for the Bulldogs is set to begin on Monday, May 20 and conclude on Friday, May 24.

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