Fisher In First After Two Rounds At Gordin Classic

9/30/2013 8:53:00 PM

The nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College men's golf team is in first place by six shots after two rounds at the illustrious Gordin Classic in Columbus, Oh.   Fisher, ranked 13^th nationally shot 576 over 36 holes on Monday and has a six-stroke lead over Methodist University, the nation's No. 1 ranked team, and Wittenberg University, the 2012 Gordin Classic championship.

The tournament consists of 36 holes on Monday and 18 holes on Tuesday and is contested at Columbus Country Club, is the oldest golf club in central Ohio.  The Donald Ross-designed course was the site of the 1964 PGA championship.

Hosted by Ohio Wesleyan since 1991, the Gordin Classic annually matches 12 of the best NCAA Division III teams, featuring most — if not all — of the top 10 finishers from the previous spring's NCAA Division III championship tournament. 

The Gordin Classic field includes 5 of the top 10 teams in last spring's NCAA Division III tournament, headlined by Transylvania (Ky.), the 2012 and 2013 NCAA Division III runner-up; Methodist (N.C.), which finished third in the nation in both 2012 and 2013; and Emory (Ga.), which finished fourth nationally last spring.

Illinois Wesleyan and Fisher, which tied for ninth place nationally in 2013, are also competing.

Joining those teams are four teams that placed in the top 15 in last spring's NCAA Division III tournament in Greensboro (N.C.), Central (Iowa), Wittenberg, and Southwestern (Texas), along with two additional 2013 NCAA tournament teams in Guilford (N.C.) and Otterbein.

The tournament is named after longtime Ohio Wesleyan coach Dick Gordin.  Gordin, who served as the Bishops' golf coach from 1955-93, guided 22 of his last 25 teams to the NCAA Division III or College Division tournaments, bringing home 6 top-5 finishes in his last 8 years, including runner-up finishes in 1990 and 1993 and thirds in 1989 and 1991.  Ohio Wesleyan won a total of 12 league titles in 5 different decades under Gordin.  His teams won 7 Ohio Athletic Conference championships and 5 North Coast Athletic Conference crowns. Gordin was named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year in 1987 and 1993.

TEAM RESULTS

St. John Fisher  576
Methodist  582
Wittenberg  582
Guilford  586
Transylvania  590
Southwestern   591
Illinois Wesleyan  592
Greensboro   597
Emory  602
Central  611
OWU  611
Otterbein  619

Individual Scorers (Fisher only)
Thad Wier (73-75)
Chris Blyth (72-74)
Hogan Cuny (67-78)
Corey Haas (77-74)
Ryan McGinnis (73-68)