Bearcats are Ready for First Round of NCAA Men's Golf Championship
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- The chance to compete for a national title begins on Tuesday, May 11 for the Willamette University men's golf team as the 2021 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship gets underway at the Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling, West Virginia. The NCAA Championship will continue through Thursday, May 14.
Willamette golfers who will be competing this week for the Bearcats are Austin Davis (Jr., Culver City, CA/Culver City HS), Andrew Kibbee (Jr., Kenmore, WA/Bothell HS), Alex Weirth (So., Port Orchard, WA/Crosspoint Academy), Riley Lankford (So./Fy., Pilot Rock, OR/Pilot Rock HS), and Aunders Erickson (Grad., Portland, OR/Westview HS/Ohio Wesleyan Univ.).
Willamette is participating in the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship for the second time. The Bearcats also qualified for the NCAA Championship in 2018-19 and finished in 13th place. Prior to joining the NCAA for the 1998-99 athletic year, the Bearcats qualified for the NAIA Men's Golf Championship eight times. Willamette placed 14th at the NAIA Championship in 1975 and 1976.
Davis enters the NCAA Tournament with a 74.25 unadjusted stroke average for the year. He has placed in the top 10 at 15 of 19 tournaments during his career and has scored a 69 three times. He has been chosen First Team All-NWC twice. He finished 24th at the 2018-19 NCAA Men's Golf Championship. He was named to the PING All-West Region Team in 2019-20.
Kibbee led the Bearcats with a 73.63 unadjusted stroke average this spring. He took first place at the NWC Spring Classic with a 5-under par 130, including a career-low round of 67 on the first day. He was chosen First Team All-NWC this season after earning Second Team All-NWC honors in 2018-19. Kibbee took 88th place at the NCAA Men's Golf championship in 2018-19. He has placed in the top 10 at 13 of 18 tournaments as a Bearcat golfer.
Weirth has achieved an unadusted stroke average of 75.13 in 2021. He recorded his low round of the season with a 70 at the NWC Spring Classic. He was named First Team All-NWC this spring. In 2019-20, he won two tournaments and was selected for the PING All-West Region Team. He has earned a career low round of 69 twice.
Lankford has competed for the Bearcats in all four tournaments this season. He recorded a low round of 75 at the NWC Spring Classic and registered another 75 at the NWC Tournament, where he finished in 13th place.
Erickson played in three tournaments covering six rounds this spring, including the NWC Spring Classic and the NWC Tournament. He earned a low round of even-par 72 at the Spring Classic.
A total of 37 teams and six individuals were chosen for this year's NCAA Division III Championship. Bethany College (W.V.) and the Presidents' Athletic Conference will be hosting the tournament. Thirty teams received automatic bids by winning conference championships. Four at-large bids went to independents or to teams in conferences without automatic bids. Three at-large bids went to the top remaining teams.
After the second round is completed on Wednesday, the field will be reduced to the top 18 teams plus the top six individuals not on one of the advancing teams. The reduced field will compete in the final two rounds on Thursday and Friday. Final standings will include all four rounds.