May 18, 2012

LOUISVILLE, KY – The 2012 golf season came to a close for the Peach Belt on Friday as both USC Aiken and Georgia College fell in their match play quarterfinals at the NCAA National Championships.  USCA fell to Nova Southeastern 4-1 while Georgia College lost to CSU-Stanislaus 3-2.

The national quarterfinal team match between seventh-seeded USC Aiken and second-seeded Nova Southeastern consisted of five points with one point being awarded for each individual match.

Taylor Welborn picked up the only victory of the day for the Pacers, besting Nova Southeastern’s Mitch Farrer by four strokes.

Welborn (LaGrange, Ga./Darton), who carded a 74 to Farrer’s 78, put together one of the highlights of his career during his round when he had a hole-in-one on hole No. 8. Welborn’s match would be the first one finished in the quarterfinal. USC Aiken would then drop the next four matches to allow Nova Southeastern to secure the victory.

Gaines Milliner (Aiken, S.C./Aiken) fell by six strokes to Nova Southeastern’s Ben Vertz. Milliner posted a 78 in the quarterfinal, while Vertz ended the match with an even 72.

Ricardo Celia of Nova Southeastern was able to best Pacer 2012 First-Team All-American Matt Atkins (Owensboro, Ky./Henderson State). Celia ended the showdown with a 2-under 70. Atkins closed out his round with a 76.

NCAA Division II National Freshman of the Year Oscar Lengden of Nova Southeastern carded a 4-under 68 in the quarterfinal match to best 2009 All-American JP Solis (Morelia, Mexico/Lico Morelia), who ended his day with a 1-over 73.

USC Aiken’s Hayden Letien owned a five-stroke lead through 11 holes, but in the end current national No. 1 Ben Taylor of Nova Southeastern would overtake the 2011 All-American selection.

Letien (Sumter, S.C./Sumter) was even through his first nine holes. He opened the back nine by claiming an eagle on hole No. 10. Letien then birdied No. 11. Unfortunately, Letien would then bogey five of the next seven holes to allow Taylor to come back for a three-stroke victory. Letien finished with a 74, while Taylor posted a 1-under 71.

Nova Southeastern moves on to the semifinal round where they will face off against Central Oklahoma.

The No. 5-seeded Bobcats took on the No. 4-seed Warriors, with GC picking up wins from Patrick Garrett (Kennesaw, Ga.) and Ryan Trocchio (Norcross, Ga.).

Trocchio out-did CSUS’s top player in Trevor Blair 71-74. Garrett did Trocchio one better with a 71-75 victory over Chris McCracken at No. 3.

At No. 5, David Sullivan (Woodstock, Ga.) fell by two 75-77 to Teddy Schrier, while both Taylor Smith (Mansfield, Ga.) and Victor Monte (Chantilly, Va.) took four-stroke losses. Smith was beaten by Rob Damschen 73-77 at the second spot, while Monte fell 75-79 to Paul Smith in the fourth.

The Warriors advance to take on No. 1-seed Chico State in the Semifinals today, while GC’s season comes to a close.