Greazel Takes Home Individual National Title | Kirkwood Runner Up, DMACC Takes Third
At the Twins Hills Golf Course in Joplin, Missouri, Kirkwood moved up late to take home a second place finish while Grant Greazel powered through the tournament to become the NJCAA National Champion.
Greazel took home the individual title during the course of four rounds played during the 2024 NJCAA Division II National Championships. Greazel started off the tournament shooting 71 (-1) to hold a one-shot lead going into Day 2. Greazel's second round couldn't have gone better for the Eagle's sophomore as he shot a 69 (-3) round with seven birdies. Greazel led after two days and while he tried to increase upon his three-shot lead he encountered a tough 74 (+2) round which would have him two-under-par for the tournament with a two-shot lead going into the final day. Greazel started his final 18-hole 1-under through three holes. He made bogie on holes 6 and 11 before catching two birdies on 16 and 18 to capture a five-shot victory over the field. Greazel became the second Kirkwood golfer to ever win an individual title, when back in 2006 TJ Redding won the crown.
Greazel wasn't the only Kirkwood golfer near the top of the leaderboard after the 72nd hole. Nathan Bratanata made a late kick to push his name towards the top at the conclusion of round four. Bratanata after posting a score of 73 (+1) on Day 1 and 74 (+2) on the second day. Bratanata was moving in the wrong direction after another 74 (+2) on Day 3 Bratana who's tied for 9th, starts making his move. Bratanata made six birdies on the final day to shoot a 69 (-3). After being even on the front nine he bridied four of the final nine holes to get tied for second for the Eagles.
The other Eagles golfers Nate Offerman (16th) shot a +10 for the tournament. Offerman's lowest round came on Day 3 where he shot a 71 (-1). Offerman opened the tournament with a 79 (+7) and placed him T-44. The second and third round for Offerman allowed to shoot up the leaderboard. Offerman, between rounds two and three, made only four bogies in the 36 holes played. The middle movement from Offerman gave his Second Team All-American status.
The other Kirkwood golfer was Frank Haege (T-34) shot +16 for the tournament with his lowest rounds coming in the second and the four rounds where he shot a 75 (+3).
Kirkwood shot a +21 during the course of the NJCAA National Championship the late sugre by the Eagles wasn't enough to knock down Mississippi Gulf Coast who took home the team title, and Kirkwood finished second.
DMACC took home third as a team with two players finishing in the Top 10.
DMACC's Drew Teeter and Calvin McNeely lead the way individually with the golfers trying for sixth after the final day. Teeter started the tournament off slow, shooting a 77 (+5) on the first day. Teeter rattled off 70 (-2), 72 (E), and 74 (+2) to keep him in the mix. During Teeter's second round 70 he birdied five holes including two of the last four to get him under par. Teeter's constant play after the first round was a huge help to him becoming a First-Team All-American.
Alongside Teeter in the tie for sixth was McNeely. McNeely was 1-over going into the final day. McNeely shot 73 (+1), 73 (+1), and 71 (-1) in the first three rounds. McNeely was one-under-par going into the back nine of the final day but a tough stretch of four straight bogies was a problem for the Bear golfer. Despite the tough last day the play from the first three rounds was good enough for first team All-American honors and a top-10 finish.
Not far off Teeter and McNeely for DMACC was Spencer Clatt. The sophomore had a tough start shooting an opening round 78 (+6) with just one birdie and a double-bogey. Clatt settled in during day two shooting 71 (-1) catapulting him 11 spots after the first day. Clatt shot even (36) on the front nine of his third round but a triple-bogey on the back was the deciding factor in the final round 75 (+3) that still allowed Clatt to finish 15th for the NJCAA tournament.
The other DMACC golfer, Kaleb Allen, was the final DMACC golfer to be taken for a team score. Allen finished T-32 (+15) after shooting 76 (+4), 73 (+1), 79 (+7), and 75 (+3). During the low round 73 (+1) in the second round Allen made four birdies including going 2-under par on the par fives during the second round.
Individuals from ICCAC's schools who also took part in the event were Kaeden Anderson of Hawkeye and Nico Booyens and Bailey Doe from Iowa Central.
Hawkeye's Kaeden Anderson ended his first day shooting a 76 (+4) which tied him for 23rd. Day two did not go as expected for Anderson, shooting a rough 80 (+8) and falling to a tie in 52nd place. He shot two triple-bogeys during the second round. However on day three, things quickly turned in Anderson's favor. He answered back from his bad day two with an excellent day three, shooting a 69 (-3) and jumping up in the standings to T-28th. During his third round he shot five birdies which helped make up the lost round from day two. Anderson finished off the National Championships shooting 75 (+3) in his final round to move up eight spots to finish T-20.
Iowa Central's Bailey Doe and Nico Booyens left day one outside of the top 30. Doe shot a 78 (+6) and Booyens shot a 80 (+8). On day two, the teammates started to separate from one another. Doe dropped in the standings after shooting a 81 (+9) which included six bogeys. On the other hand, it was Booyens who shot up to 31st place after his score of a 71 (-1) on day two. On day three, Booyens dropped back down after shooting a 76 (+4), tieing for 35th. Doe improved from his round two score with a 78 (+6) on day three, which ranked his T-73rd. Booyens and Doe for Iowa Central capped off their National Championship tournament with two solid rounds. Booyens finished T-34 and moved up a spot on the leaderboard after shooting a fourth round 77 (+5). Doe found himself moving up 13 spots on the leaderboard after shooting 74 (+2) on the final day.
First Team All-American
1. Grant Greazel, Kirkwood (National Champion)
T-2. Nathan Bratanata, Kirkwood
T-6. Drew Teeter, DMACC
T-6. Calvin McNeeley, DMACC
Second Team All-American
15. Spencer Clatt, DMACC
16. Nate Offerman, Kirkwood