Field set for NJCAA Division I Men's Golf National Tournament at Duran Golf Club

Field set for NJCAA Division I Men's Golf National Tournament at Duran Golf Club

The field is set for the NJCAA Division I Men's Golf National Championship Tournament, which will begin May 14 at Duran Golf Club in Viera.

The tournament is at Duran Golf Club for the second time in four years and will feature the best teams in NJCAA golf. The top 10 teams from last year's national tournament are back including defending champion Indian Hills Community College. Also three of the top five individual finishers last season are back looking to capture the title.

Midland College comes in as the No. 1 team in the NJCAA Division I men's golf poll and won the District II title to advance to the national tournament. The Chaparrals are led by the duo of Callum Bruce and Alex Motes who both finished in the top five in last year's national tournament.

Indian Hills is No. 2 in the poll and won the District III title. The Falcons have won three of the past five national tournament titles. Sophomores George Clark and Max LeClerc both finished in the top 25 last season in the national tournament.

Odessa College won the national title in 2017 and finished fourth last year. The Wranglers have finished in the top five in the national tournament 14 times under head coach Paul Chavez.

McLennan, who won the national title back in 2016, is paced by Mathias Lorentzen who is back after tying for fifth place in last year's national tournament.

Eastern Florida State College comes into the tournament as the No. 3 team in the poll and won the District IV championship to advance to the national tournament for the 17th straight season. Sophomore Beck Fox won the individual medalist honors at the district tournament and is looking forward to playing the national tournament at Duran Golf Club.

"It's going to be fun. There should be a bit less nerves because we know the course so well, there will be some nerves because it is a national tournament but you won't be stepping up to a hole and be uncomfortable because we have hit those shots so many times," Fox said. "So the key will be to just get over the nerves of the tournament itself."

Pima Community College advanced to the national tournament for the eighth straight season by winning the District I championship.

"It is going to be a good field. We know there are a lot of big names in the field but we know this course like the back of our hand and we know how to play it," freshman Thomas Matthews said. "We won the national preview in the fall and are ready for it."

The national tournament begins May 14 with the final round scheduled for May 17 at Duran Golf Club. Admission is free for spectators.