NOBLESVILLE, Ind.—The Bellarmine University men’s golf team finished 15th at the NCAA Div. II National Championship contested at Sagamore Golf Club from May 18-21. Bellarmine freshman Bryan Ratterman (Louisville, Ky., St. Xavier) fired a final round 74 for a 4-round total of 303 to finish tied for 14th individually, the best finish ever by a Bellarmine golfer in the national championship.
Florida Southern took the team title with 4-round total of 1207, and Cyril Bouniol of Abilene Christian was the only player to break par in the field and was the individual champion with a 285 (-3) total.
Prior to today's final round, the NCAA trimmed the field to the low 15 teams and seven individuals not on one of those teams. The cut was made to allow all teams to play in the morning wave because of thunderstorms in the forecast. The field was originally 20 teams and eight individuals.
Bellarmine entered the final round in 13th place, but fell two spots with a 319 to finish with a total of 1257. Ratterman was low man for the Knights with his 74, and sophomore Adam Mallory (Louisville, Ky., Eastern) was next for Bellarmine with a 78.
Seniors Doug Wilkinson (Louisville, Ky., St. Xavier) and Brooks Herrick (Prestonsburg, Ky., Prestonsburg) ended their careers with today’s round. Wilkinson posted an 81 while Herrick gutted out an 86 as he battled flu-like symptoms on the final day. Rounding out the Knights’ lineup was freshman David Shearn (Louisville, Ky., St. Xavier), who shot a final round 89 in just his second tournament after missing the entire spring regular season with a broken arm.
This was Bellarmine’s third appearance in the NCAA National Finals with the last time being in 1993, when the Knights finished in 14th place. Bellarmine’s 1971 team competed in the NCAA’s “college division” championship.
FINAL TEAM SCORES
FINAL INDIVIDUAL SCORES