Sports

Phoenix rises

• The Darton College golf team won its seventh consecutive region title and will now aim for its fourth straight national crown May 20-23 in Phoenix, Ariz.

Scott Chancey

HELEN — The Darton College Cavaliers are no longer inundated with Innsbrook. They now have a date with destiny in the desert.

The three-time defending NJCAA Division II golf champions won their seventh region title in a row Tuesday, qualifying for the chance to win a fourth national crown, this time May 20-23 on Phoenix’s Palm Valley Golf Course.

Darton, which won the past three national championships in Scottsboro, Ala., was led by medalist Jin Chung’s two-day total of 3-over-par 147 and won by 48 strokes (28-over 604) at Innsbruck Golf Club.

On arguably the toughest course the team faced all season,Chung scored a 75 Tuesday while teammate Matt Smith carded a 72, finishing second overall at 148 and joined him on the All-Tournament team.

“The most important thing is always winning region,” said Darton coach Dale Dover, who was named the region’s Coach of the Year for the seventh consecutive time. “Anything more than that is icing on the cake.”

Chung, who won his third individual event of the year, remained low key.

“I felt at times I wanted to do a fist pump, but it’s just hard to express how you feel after winning something like this, I think,” said Chung, who is the country’s seventh-ranked golfer.

Darton’s Chesley Gunn also was named to the All-Tournament team, placing fourth with a two-day 152 and was followed by Andrew’s Slade Phillips (154), who was tied for second after the first round.

“I kept my composure,” said Phillips, who had three three-putts. “My swing just wasn’t there. It was just one of those days.”

Young Harris’ Cliff Barton also earned All-Tournament honors at 151. The Cavaliers’ Evan Hanna was seventh with an overall 160, and Coleman Calhoun was tied for 10th at 165.

The only drama in the tournament was whether someone would score under par. That didn’t happen, with only Chung scoring 72 Monday before Smith’s Tuesday round. And on the leaderboard, the Cavaliers easily distanced themselves from Young Harris with the 48 strokes that were not even the largest region margin of victory the Cavaliers enjoyed.

“One region meet we won by more than 100,” Dover recalled.

Truett-McConnell was third this year with a 675 and no other team had enough players to field a collective score. And although there were originally 36 holes planned Tuesday, only 18 were played, considering time restraints.

No matter the tournament’s length, Tuesday’s post-tournament presentation was like the past six.

“Once again, the region champions, Darton College,” proclaimed region commissioner David Elder.

Now comes the much more difficult challenge for the Cavaliers – winning that fourth consecutive national title. If Darton does, only top-ranked Tyler (Texas) Junior College will own a longer streak (five), which was during the mid-1990s.

While the Cavaliers hope to continue the tradition at nationals, an underlying fear also motivates them.

“We don’t want to be known as the team that didn’t continue the streak,” Gunn said.

Chung, who won his third tournament of the year, birdied the seventh, bringing him 1 under when he made the turn. Double bogeys at 13 and 14, however, and a bogey at 15 left him frustrated.

“I got mad, and when you get mad you try to force things,” Chung said.

After missing a birdie putt on the 16th that didn’t make an anticipated break, Chung rebounded with a birdie on the 17th which was the difference between him and Smith.

“I just wanted to focus on playing good instead of trying to post a good score,” Chung said.

Putting woes did in Smith, who had 35 Tuesday, including three three-putts. For the five eagles he posted, five bogeys offset them.

“I felt I hit the ball really good,” Smith said. “I didn’t miss a shot, really. I just made too many putts.”

Although Darton successfully defended its region championship, Dover still has his share of assurances and concerns. Smith, who played at Colquitt County and won Darton’s regular-season finale at Stonebridge Golf & Country Club, is perhaps playing his best golf of the year after struggling with confidence.

“I feel I can win,” Smith said. “It feels a little easier to play, I don’t get down on myself as much as I have been on the course.”

And Chung, although he lost composure on the back nine, made that crucial birdie on the next-to-last hole.

Gunn shot a 76 Monday, but did not shoot higher on an unusually sloped course with another 76 Tuesday, and Evan Hanna improved two strokes from Monday’s 81. Coleman Calhoun, a First-Team All-American last year, however, followed Monday’s 78 with a second-round 87.

“That’s out of control, an 87,” a visibly frustrated Dover said. “(Monday), two (triple bogeys) cost me six shots, and (Tuesday) I hit the ball everywhere,” Calhoun said. “You just can’t do that on this course.”

Darton has two weeks to work on its golf game and then their chance to win a fourth consecutive national title will be at hand.

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