Men's Golf Drew Athletic Communications

History Made: Drew Men’s Golf Posts Landmark-Best 15th-Place Finish at NCAA Championship

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. – Senior Elliot Parker and the Drew University men's golf team closed out a historic season in unforgettable fashion on Friday, capping their run at the NCAA Division III Championships at the El Campeon course of the Mission Resort and Club in Florida.

Parker tied for seventh among 225 golfers as the Rangers placed 15th out of 43 schools in the team standings, finishing with a 72-hole score of 1183 (291-292-307-294).

It marked a program-defining finish on the national stage. The 15th-place result is the best NCAA Championship performance in program history, highlighted by Drew's first-ever appearance advancing through the cut and into the final two rounds in its three trips to the national tournament.

More than that, it represented a breakthrough moment for the Landmark Conference. Drew became the first men's golf program in league history to advance past the NCAA Championship cut since the sport was introduced in 2017-18. The Rangers also delivered the highest NCAA Championship finish ever recorded by a Landmark men's golf team.

"I knew coming into this season that this team was special," said Head Coach Lucas Artigliere C'23. "We set our goals very high, and it was understood early on what it was going to take to achieve them. These guys worked so hard all year and had a lot of success leading up to nationals. We were able to trust in our preparation and therefore play with a lot of confidence."

Parker ended his stellar career with yet another standout performance, firing a 2-under-par 70 in the final round on Friday. He sank five birdies, including four on the back nine, where he parred the remaining holes to finish with a 33 (-4). Parker finished at 4-under for the tournament with a final score of 283 (69-70-74-70), just six strokes behind individual champion Sebi Aliaga of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

Junior Thomas Hurley was Drew's second finisher and closed the tournament strong, posting his best round of the week with a 73 (+1) on Friday. He birdied three holes and added an eagle on the par-5 10th. For the week, he shot a 298 (75-76-74-73) and tied for 60th place.

Junior Avery Cohen and sophomore Sam Dolan each shot a 301 to complete the team scoring while tying for 70th. On Friday, Cohen carded a 73 (+1) with four birdies, including three on the back nine, where he fired a 35 (-2). He opened the tournament with rounds of 77, 72, and 79.

Dolan closed the championship with a 75 (+3) after rounds of 76-75-75, leading into Friday. He posted four birdies on the final day and made an even-par 35 on the front nine.

Senior Shiv Bhaskar also closed his collegiate career in the Rangers' lineup, shooting an 80 on Friday to finish 92nd with a 318 (81-76-81-80).

The championship capped one of the most dominant seasons in program history for the Rangers, who won six of their 11 events, including a second consecutive Landmark Conference title. Drew also set a new program standard with a school-record 293.8 scoring average per round.

"This group knew early on that it was capable of something bigger than its ranking," added Artigliere. "They embraced that challenge and proved it all season long. I'm incredibly proud of what they accomplished and excited for what comes next."
 
Landmark Men's Golf at NCAA Championship
Year Program Finish
2018 Goucher College 35th
2019 Goucher College T-36th
2020 N/A Canceled due to COVID-19
2021 Catholic University 26th
2022 Drew University 39th
2023 University of Scranton 36th
2024 University of Scranton 37th
2025 Drew University 38th
2026 Drew University 15th