Howey-in-the-Hills, FL – Closing out the week from the NCAA Division III Championships, the Wittenberg Tiger Men's Golf team earned a 7th place finish amongst the final field of 18 to make the cut from 43. The Tigers posted rounds of 298-310-298-295, finishing at (+53). Methodist University claimed the 2022 National Men's Golf National Championship, coming in at (+20).
The Tigers were paced by JF Aber through the 72-hole event, claiming a T3 finish amongst the final field of 98 competitors. Aber would come in at an even par 72 on the last of action from the 6700-yard El Campeon Course at Mission Inn & Resort. Aber opened up with a birdie on the opening 500-yard par five, adding one more birdie on the seventh, to close out the front nine. Finishing the front-nine at plus-two, Aber carded four more birdies on the back-nine. The sophomore out of Pittsburgh, PA, added rounds of 75 (+2) on day two at the Las Colinas course, bouncing back with a 69 (-3) on day three on the El Campeon track. With a 72-hole total of 286, Aber wrapped up his first appearance at the NCAA Championships one-under par. The T3 by Aber is the best by a Tiger since Garrett Brickley (T1) in 2017, the year the Tiger's won the National Championship. Aber now holds the Wittenberg four-round low score record by one stroke, surpassing Brickley who carded rounds of 74-70-75-68 at the 2017 champioships.
Making his first appearance at a DIII Championship, Matthew Mattioli earned a T53 finish. Mattioli carded rounds of 78-75-80-74, for a 72-hole score of 307 (+20). Will Birkholz closed out his four rounds at (+22), carding scores of 78-75-81-75 for a 72-hole total of 309. Evan DiSanto posted a 72-hole score of 311 (+24) with rounds of 73-85-72-81. After a plus-one opening round, DiSanto posted his best score on day three of the championships, carding a 72 even-par from El Campeon.