Panthers receive second straight bid to NCAA Division III Golf Championships
May 5, 2008

The LaGrange College golf team earned its second straight and third overall invitation to the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships as the field for the 2008 tournament was announced Monday. The 72-hole championship will be held May 13-16 at the Chateau Elan Resort in Braselton, Ga.

The Panthers will carry  Alex Elorriaga, Ryan Howard, Bo Tiller, Ryan Willis and Anthony Yacovazzi to the championship. Willis, a junior, was the Georgia Cup 2008 Player of the Year. Yacovazzi joined Willis on the Cup's all-state team for Division III golfers.

As a team, the Panthers had a successful spring. They did not finish lower than seventh in five tournaments. The Panthers had a season-best fourth place finish at the Callaway Collegiate Invitational.

The championship consists of 35 teams and five individuals for a total of 180 participants. Twenty-five conferences were awarded automatic qualification for the championships. Eight teams, including LaGrange, were selected from Pool B, which consists of independent institutions, and institutions that are members of conferences that do not meet the requirements for automatic qualification. The final two berths were reserved for Pool C, which are institutions from automatic-qualifying conferences that are not the conference champion and any remaining Pool B teams. The top five individuals are selected from the remaining players who have not qualified with a team.

Saint John's returns to the championship to defend its 2007 title. Also, nine-time champion and top-ranked Methodist, past champions Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Gustavus Adolphus and Nebraska Wesleyan are in the field. Nineteen of the 25 ranked teams in the Golf Coaches of America Association Division III poll are in the championship.

The Panthers made school history in 2004. They became the first LaGrange College team to earn an invitation to an NCAA championship event. In 2005, Michael Lemmo finished third competing as an individual. He earned All-American honors for his play.

This is the sixth national tournament championship for the Panthers. They won a USCAA national championship in 2003 and had two appearances in the NAIA championships.