This week we are looking at number seven on the countdown: Guilford’s 2004-2005 golf team. They began the year ranked third in Division III. In the fall, the team placed in the top five in four out of their six tournaments, with one second place finish and two victories.
Led by senior Dave Patterson ’05, the team was competitive and finished in the top 15 in every tournament that season. Patterson’s 75 stroke average helped set the pace for the team. He did not do it alone, however. Patterson had a great supporting cast that included sophomore Brant Stovall ’07, Colin Clark ’07, and junior Jeff Osberg ’06.
Together, they laid a foundation for the success of the team. Each member contributed at a critical point in the season. Osberg shot two rounds under 80 and finished fourth in the tournament right before the Old Dominion Athletic Conference tournament.
Patterson had six top ten finishes throughout the year, including eighth in the ODAC championships and second in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III championships. Stovall finished tied for eighth in the first tournament of the spring season. His performance carried the momentum for the team in the following tournaments.
Clark found his groove at the end of the year. He shot scores of 67 and a 69 to finish second place at the Emory Spring Invitational and ODAC tournament and shot a total of 290 to win the NCAA Division III Championship.
With all this success, there were still bumps in the road. The team had a rough stretch in March, finishing in seventh place at the Richard Rendlemen Invitational, which was their second-worst finish of the season so far. The next tournament was even worse. The team finished in 11th place at the AccuSport Intercollegiate Tournament with a season high 647 shots.
Veteran coach Jack Jensen must have given the team an inspiring pep talk after their 11th place finish out of 17 teams, because the team hit their stride after that tournament. While still boasting the number three ranking in Division III, the team finished fourth in their next tournament. The team then won the next two tournaments, easily shooting team scores which totaled 582 and 584.
Fresh off a third place finish at the ODAC championships, the team was picked to finish 13 at the NCAA championships.
After the first round of play, the team sat comfortably in third place. Before the second round, Clark and Osberg received PING All-South Region golf honors and Jensen earned the Eaton Golf Pride South Region Coach of the Year Award from the Golf Coaches Association of America.
Some might have called this a distraction, but it fueled the Quakers’ fire to perform even better. The team had built a 20 stroke lead on the second place team and was looking for more. In the final round, Guilford dominated.
The other 22 teams had been beaten by an astounding 25 strokes, including the runner-up. Plus, Clark and Patterson were tied for the individual lead of the tournament. This team is number seven on the countdown because they won and dominated the NCAA National Championship of 2004-2005.