These kids are good: How talent has evolved in DIII golf

I grew up loving NBA basketball and will never forget some of the players and teams we tuned into each night. Whether it was Reggie Miller and my hometown Pacers, Kobe and Shaq with the 2000’s Lakers, or my personal favorite, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat, we were captivated by something every night. 

More recently, I was watching a documentary on an early 2000’s playoff series between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. I was in complete shock when I saw the final score for each team barely reached 70 points. What kind of basketball was I watching? This wasn’t the game I remembered! Games now, even between the best defenses in the league reach at least 100 points. The game has evolved. The players are bigger, faster and stronger across the board as well as much more skilled.

This is no different to other sports. As time goes on, players become better athletes. There is more knowledge about the sport and more information readily available at their fingertips. Take professional golf for example. The days where a single dominant figure like Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods can rack up seven or more tour wins in multiple seasons and be dominant for multiple decades are gone. The competition is so much better and deeper than ever before. 

What does that mean for college golf? DI programs still attract great talent and the level of play for mid-major schools has gone up as well. However, the greatest testament to the talent level currently in college golf is the standard of play in Division III. 

It has always been competitive, but looking at the men’s champions since the NCAA started keeping records in 1975, two teams have dominated. Methodist and St. Stanislaus State (who are now DII) have won 25 out of the 48 championships. St. Stanislaus dominated the 70s and 80s whilst Methodist won all but one championship in the 90s and four more since. But as you move closer to present day, you see less repeat winners along with lower and lower scores.

This is not some profound statement but I have an idea why this may be the case. Very much like the evolution of the NBA or the PGA Tour, not only are there more players at the top with elite skill but the skill of everyone else has risen as well. There are only so many roster spots available at the DI and DII level. With resources ramping up along with  first-class education, many DIII programs provide a competitive and rewarding experience. This can make players think twice about competing to be the fifth or sixth guy at the DI program they had in mind. 

There are a handful of go-to examples. Just last year, there were players going from a DIII team to making an impact at “bigger” programs. Alex Price dominated at Christopher Newport. At the end of a stellar four-year career, the 4-time All-American and Jack Nicklaus award winner, played a grad year at DI LSU. He competed in 10 events for the Tigers. Fred Roberts of Piedmont made a similar move after an All-American career playing his grad year at High Point. Fred competed in 11 events this season for High Point and was the individual champion at the Big South Conference Championship. 

With that being said, there’s no need to look outside this current crop of DIII men’s players to see the talent level. All of Methodists’ starting five players have an adjusted scoring average that is below par. Take your pick when it comes to which one may win in a given week. Four of the five players have a win this season with the fifth player also recording two runner-up finishes. 

Seniors Jack Vercautren and Scott Boyajian have combined to win 21 individual titles over their careers at Aurora. Gabe Benson, a Sophomore at Concordia-Moorehead, is the first player in program history to play in the National Championship. He also boasts a 72.4 scoring average that includes six rounds in the 60s as well as two individual titles this season. Jonathan Oakes, a first year at Kenyon College, and JF Aber, a fourth year at Wittenberg, both advanced to US Open Final Qualifying with under par scores. 

But even then, development and growth can also be measured by the improvement of teams and players that may not have been a factor previously. Mississippi University for Women is in it’s first year of DIII golf and has five wins. They also became the first team ever at MUW to compete for a DIII National Championship. New England College, in just its third year of DIII golf and first in the GNAC conference, got their first ever tournament win this season. They then added three more to guarantee their spot in the National Championship. 

The state of DIII golf is much better than it was before and the results are on the board. Just look at the final standings of this year’s men’s National Championship. Methodist took home coach Steve Conley’s 14th national championship trophy with an impressive 21-under-par total. That shatters the previous championship record by 12! 

Second place Carnegie Mellon was just as impressive at -20 and third place was only a few shots off the previous record. We are witnessing some of the best golf at that level we’ve ever seen and that is a net positive for the student athlete. More high level playing options means more opportunities for athletes. They can then pursue their athletic goals while also making the student part of the agreement a priority as well.