Bulldogs outlast the field for first national title
Mississippi Gulf Coast earned its first NJCAA DII Men's Golf National Championship
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | RESULTS | PHOTOS | HIGHLIGHTS | ALL-AMERICANS
Foley, AL – In a race to the end, Mississippi Gulf Coast edged three teams by a total of four strokes to capture the 2018 NJCAA DII Men's Golf National Championship at GlenLakes Golf Club. The team title is the first in program history for the Bulldogs.
Despite multiple weather delays throughout the four-day event, Mississippi Gulf Coast fired a 279 in the final round, the second-lowest team effort of the week to claim the national title. With three teams all-square at 4-under with six holes to play in the final round, the Bulldogs outlasted the field to hoist the trophy. Meridian (MS) came in second with a 1-under 1,151 followed by Parkland (IL) at 1-over and South Mountain (AZ) at 2-over.
South Mountain's fourth place finish came on the heels of Leon D'Souza and Jeffrey Miller. D'Souza captured the individual national title at 8-under while Miller boasted a 7-under 281. Noah Hoffman of Southeast (NE) tallied a 6-under followed by Mississippi Gulf Coast's individual leader Jackson Wedgeworth at 5-under
The Bulldogs' championship trophy comes one year after Colin Troxler won the individual national title, the first team or individual championship for the program.
- Mississippi Gulf Coast has now finished inside the top five at the national tournament in each of the last six years.
- Along with Wedgeworth's low score, the Bulldogs were aided by Brice Wilkinson at 3-under.
- The Bulldogs were coming off of a runner-up finish at the 2017 national championship where the team fell five strokes shy of eventual champion Mesa (AZ).
- South Mountain, who has won six national titles since 2004, has finished inside the top five in six of the last seven years.
- D'Souza's national championship is the third individual title in the last four years for the Cougars.
- Parkland's Kristian Kristensen finished in a fourth-place tie at 5-under to pace the Cobras.
- The tournament featured three weather delays, including two during the third round.
