Papajohn Finishes Tied for 20th, Bearcats Place 17th at NCAA Championship
Penfield, New York - Alexander Papajohn shot a final round 71 to finish in a tie for 20th place at the NCAA Divsion III Men's Golf Championship. Papajohn led the Bearcats on the final day as the team shot a total of 309 in the final round to finish in 17th place in the team competition.
Willamette had played the majority of the fourth round on Thursday and returned on Friday morning to play the final two holes. A series of weather delays pushed Friday's start from 7:45 a.m. EDT to 12:00 p.m. EDT, but all teams were able to finish the round and play a complete championship. Should the final round not have been able to be completed, the championship would have reverted to the scores at the end of the third round.
Oliver Smith had the next lowest score for the Bearcats, carding a 78 on Friday. Smith was followed closely by Brock Olson at 79, with Lucas Paul shooting 81 and Jack Carr coming in at 84. Olson was the next finisher behind Papajohn in the individual competition, ending the four-day event at +16, which was good for 55th place.
This was the fifth time in six competitions that Willamette participated in the Division III Men's Golf Championship, and the fourth time they made the cut. Their highest finish during that run was a tie for eleventh in 2021.