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By Bob Denney, PGA of America
Published: Wednesday, November 15, 2017 | 7:22 p.m.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Whoever was responsible for nicknaming the Campbell University athletic teams of Buies Creek, North Carolina, was a visionary.
Campbell’s Camels plodded their way over soggy PGA Golf Club to reach their long-awaited oasis of an unprecedented fifth national title in the 16th PGA Jones Cup.
Led by fifth-year senior Kyle Akins of Chesapeake, Virginia, who earned medalist honors at 1-under-par 143, and senior Ian Illig of Homer City, Pennsylvania, who closed with a 71, the Camels finished with a 36-hole total of 591. It was enough to hold off two-time defending champion New Mexico State (595).
Coastal Carolina University was third (597); followed by Florida Gulf Coast University (598), and University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and Sam Houston State University sharing fifth (605).
The “Drive for Five” was Jones’ season-long theme as he hosted weekend Tournament Series in Buies Creek to challenge his team. In the end, Camels had the right quintet to journey to Port St. Lucie and tack on the fifth crown to those earned in 2007, ’09, ’12 and ’14. No other PGA Professional Golf Management University has won four.
New Mexico State’s Aggies, who had rallied the past two years, but found a six-stroke deficit to start the day insurmountable. Senior Cole Lorenz of Billings, Montana, who had an opening-round 69 in his fourth consecutive Jones Cup appearance, struggled in with a 77.
“I’m proud of the guys,” said Aggies PGA Professional Golf Management Program Specialist Josh Salmon. “It’s tough to swallow. You don’t want the streak to end. It was tough conditions today and Campbell played well. It’s tough to not win, but you got to keep your heads high.”
All participating universities in the PGA Jones Cup are schools accredited by the PGA of America to offer the PGA Golf Management University Program for aspiring PGA Professionals. There are currently more than 1,800 students enrolled in the program nationwide.
Team Members (L-R): Brock Dowdy (So.), Cameron Chhim (So.), Austin Barr (So.), Jeff Adkerson, PGA, Keifer Clary (Sr.), Hayden Austin (Sr.), Zach Tate, PGA
Campbell wins 5th Title