Darton golf team heads back to national tournament

CULLMAN, Ala. — Darton State College men’s golf coach Gary Hilton was quick to criticize his team when he didn’t believe they played up to their potential this season.

On Tuesday in the final round of the National Junior College Athletic Association District IV Tournament at Terry Pines Country Club, Hilton couldn’t find enough praises for his team. The Cavaliers shot a final round total of 293, the best team score of the day, to finish third and advance to the NJCAA national tournament in Melbourne, Fla. on May 17. Darton finished with a three-round total of 890.

“That was the best round we’ve played all year,” Hilton said. “I could not be more proud of these guys.”

Eastern Florida State and Wallace State, who were 1-2 after Monday’s 36 holes, finished as the top two teams. Eastern Florida State shot a 296 on Tuesday to finish at 874, two strokes ahead of Wallace who shot a final-round 294.

Darton entered Tuesday in a tie with Spartanburg Methodist and a two-stroke lead over a trio of teams tied for fifth before pulling away. The district, arguably one of the nation’s toughest, featured seven teams ranked in the top 15.

The Cavaliers, in their final season before the school merges with Albany State next fall, will head to the national tournament for a record 15th straight season.

“When you look back on it, that is kind of an amazing little streak,” Hilton said. “We talked about that a little last night. The guys didn’t show up (on Tuesday) with the weight of the world on their shoulders.”

Finlay Mason shot a 73 in the final round and finished fourth, earning all-tournament honors. The freshman from West Midlands, England, was also named as a semifinalist for the prestigious Jack Nicklaus award. A winner in each division (NCAA Division I, II, NAIA and JUCO) will be announced on May 11.

While Mason continued to play well, Darton’s Harrison Mohr shot the best round on Tuesday with a 71, but Hilton said Bailey Ulp, Hunter Tidwell and Josh Robertson all stepped up.

“The guys played well despite all of the distractions that have been going on as far as next year,” Hilton said. “They put it aside and said it was about us. Now we’ve got three and half to four weeks to get ready for nationals.”