USC Aiken capped off the most dominating season in the history of NCAA Division II men’s golf with the program’s second-straight NCAA Division II National Championship on May 20, 2005.
The top-ranked Pacers held off a determined Armstrong Atlantic State team to win by five shots after posting a final round nine-over-par 293.
Junior Dane Burkhart won the individual national title by one stroke at five-under-par, the Pacers first-ever NCAA medalist.
USCA is just the eighth school, and the first team since Florida Southern (1999-2000), to repeat as Division II men’s golf champions.
In a record setting year, USC Aiken won an amazing 11 of 13 tournaments including two Division I events, the 2005 Peach Belt Conference Championship (the program’s sixth), the NCAA Southeast Regional, (fourth-straight) and the NCAA D-II Championship.
In addition to earning the Outback Steakhouse Arnold Palmer award as the low medalist, Burkhart, the PBC Co-Player of the Year, was named to the PING All-America First-Team and was selected as the D-II Player of the Year with the Jack Nicklaus award.
For the second-straight year, the Pacers opened the 72-hole tournament with their worst round on day one Battling the heat and windy conditions of the afternoon tee times, the Pacers were tied for eighth at 10-over-par.
Wednesday’s second round was an improved four-over-par 288 highlighted by Burkhart and Scott Brown’s three-under-par 68’s. After second round play was completed early Thursday morning, the Pacers found themselves in a familiar spot, on top of the leaderboard. A one-under-par 283 in round three gave the team a four-stroke cushion heading into the final round.
Leading by as many as nine and as few as two throughout Friday’s final 18, the Pacers still bested the host AASU Pirates by one shot on the day and finished in front by five. St Edwards, in their first appearance at the NCAA Championship, placed third, six more shots back at 33-over-par. CSU Bakersfield was fourth at 34-over-par while Hawaii-Hilo rounded out the top five at +37.
Even through five holes, Burkhart bogeyed three of four heading into the turn to tee off on 10 at two-over-par. After a bogey five on 11 to fall to three-over-par, and two back of Hawaii-Hilo’s Nick Mason in the individual race, Burkhart rebounded to birdie the par five 13th. Then on the par three 17th, Burkhart placed his tee shot within eight feet of the cup and knocked in the putt for the eventual individual race winner, finishing at one-over-par 72.
Brown, also the PBC Co-Player of the Year, registered his 11th top 10 finish of the season, tying for 10th at five-over-par for the 72 holes. He too was named to the PING All-America First-Team following the championship as USCA was the only school to place multiple players on the eight-member team.
An even-par 71 characterized by four birdies and four bogeys kept the North Augusta native in the top 10 at the NCAA Championship for the second-straight year. Three-straight birdies had him at three-under-par through six holes, but three bogeys on the back side including one on 18 prevented the junior from posting red numbers.
Sophomore Clint Smith carded a four-over-par 75 and finished tied for 20th at nine-over-par. A triple-bogey six on the par three 17th cost the Asheboro, NC product some strokes, but he did ease that pain with birdies on 16 and 18.
Casey Thompson capped an impressive performance with a top 50 finish out of the 105-player field in his first NCAA Championship. The freshman from North Augusta tied for 46th at 16-over-par.
Tyler Rolley struggled through 23 holes of the tournament, playing them at 21-over-par However, Rolley played the final 49 holes at just five-over-par following a final round 77 to place tied for 85th.
