Ben Smith
TUNICA, Miss. — The Wittenberg Tigers survived difficult conditions on Day 1 and the best shots of some of the best teams in the nation on Day 2 to claim an impressive third-place finish at the 20-team Rhodes Invitational.
The Tigers shot 311 despite strong winds that buffeted the par-72, 7,125-yard course at Tunica National Golf Resort on Day 1. On Day 2, Wittenberg improved by nine strokes and held on to the third-place position, trailing only Centre at 600 and the host team at 605.
In the latest NCAA Division III Golfstat rankings - based solely on head-to-head competition in the early going of the 2010 season - Centre is currently ranked No. 10, while Rhodes is ranked 34th. The Tigers, who rank 11th, finished ahead of Texas Lutheran (2nd), Oglethorpe (18th), DePauw (8th) and Huntingdon (3rd), among others.
Sophomore Craig Osterbrock (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) led the Tigers, rallying from a first-day 81 to card a team-best 71 on Day 2 and finish 11th in the final individual standings with a 152. That was matched by junior Jordan Millice (Cable, Ohio/Triad), whose 152 was achieved by consistent rounds of 75 and 77.
Junior Ben Smith (North Bend, Ohio/Elder) was next in 28th place with a 156, including a hole-in-one on Day 2. Junior Ricky Boerner (Hilliard, Ohio/Watterson)finished 36th with a 157, as did freshman David Wetterich (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle).