Grand Rapids Reporter

The Ferris State University men's golf team commenced their participation in the 2024 NCAA Division II National Championships on Tuesday, May 21, with a team score of 288 at the Orange County National Golf Center in Winter Garden, Florida. The Bulldogs ended the first round tied for 10th place with a score of +4 on the par-71 course, which spans 7,419 yards.

In a field of 20 teams, Oklahoma Christian and Colorado Christian both achieved a seven-under-par score of 277, placing them tied for first after the opening round. West Florida and Grand Valley State are tied for third at five-under-par (279), while Cal-State Monterey Bay holds fifth place at four-under-par (280).

After the first round, only 11 strokes separate the top 13 teams. Ferris State shares the 10th position with Henderson State (Arkansas), Western New Mexico, and Harding (Arkansas). Nathan Kraynyk led Ferris State's golfers with a one-under-par score of 70, tying him for 19th place individually. Caleb Bond and Zach Koerner each scored one-over-par (72), tying them for 43rd place. McCoy Biagioli finished three-over-par (74) in a tie for 68th place, while Sam Havey ended four-over-par (75) in a tie for 81st.

Cal-State Monterey Bay's Tony Tao is currently leading individually with an eight-under-par score of 63.

Ferris State will continue their campaign on Wednesday, May 22, starting from hole one at 12:05 p.m. Eastern Time. The championships run from May 21 to May 25 as part of the Division II Spring Sports Festival in Orlando.

The national finals feature all teams and individuals completing three rounds of stroke play through Thursday. An individual champion will be declared based on cumulative scores and tiebreakers if necessary. The top eight teams after three rounds will enter bracket play starting Friday with quarterfinals and semifinals followed by Saturday's championship match.

Ferris State qualified for this year's nationals by finishing fifth at the NCAA D2 Midwest/Central Super Regional Championships held earlier this month in Edmond, Oklahoma. This marks Ferris State's first appearance since 2019 and their overall 17th time competing at nationals.

The finals are hosted by Rollins College along with the Greater Orlando Sports Commission.

For live scoring updates from the NCAA D2 National Championships: [link](https://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=team&tid=29189)