Spring Beckons for Top Collegians
A quick look at top Virginia college golf storylines
By CHRIS LANG
THE FALL COLLEGE GOLF SEASON WAS MARKED BY TWO TEAMS THAT JUMPED TO THE TOP OF THE RANKINGS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE DIVI- SIONS . The University of Virginia men rose to No . 1 in the Golfweek Division I rankings after a hot start before the Cavaliers eventually settled at 8th at the end of the fall . Still , not too shabby .
In Division III , Christopher Newport University in Newport News ended the fall portion season at No . 1 nationally , buoyed by standout Alex Price . College seasons are made in the spring , as teams and individuals resume the long grind toward conference , regional , and eventually national championships . Where do Virginians stand as we head into the spring ? A quick look at some of the key storylines follows .
PRICE BUSTER
Price , a member at Stoneleigh G & CC , certainly seems intent to prove his run to the quarterfinals at last summer ’ s U . S . Amateur Championship was no fluke . He entered that event as a total unknown , ranked outside of the top 1,000 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings . He qualified for match play ( no small feat ), then won three matches , including two over Division I golfers ranked in the top 50 of the WAGR . His run ended in the semifinals , but he rode that momentum to a hot start in the fall .
Price is the nation ’ s top-ranked Division III golfer heading into the spring . A first-team DIII All-American in 2021-22 , Price posted a 70.2 scoring average in four starts and 11 rounds , and he won the DIII Fall Preview with a 71-67-71 — 209 total . His four starts : A win , two T3s and a T8 . He ’ ll be one of the favorites to win the national title this spring .
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12 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J ANUARY / F EBRUARY 2023
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