Members of the Campbell University club golf team who placed second at the NCCGA National Championship. Top row, left to right: Tim Carlton, Brian Jones, Ben Gibson, Nick Gorman. Bottom row, left to right: Jordan Taylor, Josh Webb, Blake Rousay and Sean Greers
MYRTLE BEACH — In its first semester of competition, Campbell University’s club golf team finished second at the National Collegiate Club Golf Association National Championship this weekend, while Campbell senior Josh Webb shot a tournament-best four-over par 148 at the Barefoot Resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C., to win individual medalist honors.
“Our team had an unbelievable experience at the NCCGA National Championship and we felt going in we had a chance to win this championship,” Webb said. “We went out and gave it our all but fell just a few shots short.
“As for my game, I played really well all weekend, hitting 14 of 14 fairways the final day,” he added. “This really helped me sustain confidence the entire final round.”
Campbell’s club golf team is comprised of eight students in the Lundy-Fetterman School of Business’ PGA Golf Management University Program. Ryan Dailey, assistant director of Campbell’s PGA program, and graduate assistants Doug Emma and Ben Pruitt formed the club at the start of this academic year.
With many juniors in the program completing internships and sophomores their seminars, first-year students made up the majority of the club team. They competed in two regional tournaments this fall to qualify for the 24-team national championship that featured groups from universities across the nation, including UCLA, Baylor, Rutgers, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Clemson.
During the two-day, 34-hole tournament for the national title, Campbell’s team hit a combined score of 768 to finish second and nine shots behind the champion, the University of Michigan.
“We were really proud to see our freshmen students step up and accept the challenge,” Campbell’s club golf coach Doug Emma said. “It is quite impressive to place 2nd among nationally-recognized universities, while these students are still only in their first semester of our golf program.”