By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University is set to begin competing at the 2023 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship on Tuesday, May 16 at the Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Kentucky. The Bearcats will be participating in their fourth consecutive national tournament after placing 13th in 2019, tying for 11th in 2021, and tying for 19th in 2022. No NCAA championship event was held in 2020 due to COVID-19. Prior to joining the NCAA for the 1998-99 athletic year, the Bearcats qualified for the NAIA Men's Golf Championship eight times. Willamette placed 14th at the NAIA Championship in 1975 and 1976.
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This year's NCAA Championship provides an opportunity for the Bearcats to return to the Keene Trace Golf Club, where the 2019 NCAA Championship was held. This year's championship features 43 teams plus six individuals for a total of 221 golfers. Transylvania University (Ky.) is hosting the four-day, 72-hole tournament.
A total of 34 conference champions, including Willamette as the Northwest Conference champion, were selected. Other automatic qualifiers from the West Region were the University of Texas at Dallas (American Southwest Conference), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference), and the University of St. Thomas, Texas (Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference).
One team, Emory University (Ga.) was selected from institutions that are not part of a conference or in conferences without an automatic bid. Eight at-large bids went to the top remaining teams, including West Region teams from LeTourneau University (Texas), and Trinity University (Texas).
When the second round ends on Wednesday, May 17, the field will be reduced to the top 18 teams plus the top six individuals who are not on an advancing team. The reduced field of 96 golfers will compete in the final two rounds of the tournament on Thursday, May 18 and Friday, May 19. Final standings will include all four rounds.
Competing for Willamette at the NCAA Championship will be Alex Weirth (Sr., Port Orchard, WA/Crosspoint Academy), Andrew Kibbee (Grad., Kenmore, WA/Bothell HS), Riley Lankford (Grad., Pilot Rock, OR/Pilot Rock HS), Oliver Smith (Fy., San Jose, CA/Pioneer HS), and Brock Olson (Fy., Kirkland, WA/Lake Washington HS). Kibbee will be golfing at the NCAA Championship for the fourth time, including his second trip to the Keene Trace Golf Club. Weirth and Lankford will both be at their third NCAA Championships, while Smith and Olson will be at an NCAA event for the first time.
The Bearcats will play at the Champion Trace Golf Course in the first round on Tuesday, starting at 8:30 a.m. EDT/5:30 a.m. PDT. Weirth and Kibbee will start in separate groups on the first hole. Lankford will be in a group starting on the second hole. Smith and Olson will start in two groups on the third hole. Willamette will compete on the Keene Run Golf Course on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Willamette will be in a very strong group, with all four teams in the current Bushnell/Golfweek NCAA Division III Coaches Poll. The Bearcats are ranked #23 and will be joined by Emory, ranked #1, Christopher Newport University (Va.), ranked #2, and Oglethorpe University (Ga.), ranked #9.
