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Campbell Camels Win Record Fifth National Championship

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Fans of golf are used to players having a dominant run, whether that be Tiger Woods of the past, or Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, or Justin Thomas for now. But there are some teams at the college level that are just, if not more dominant.

Take Campbell University for example. The Campbell Camels golf team, a great mascot by the way, have been the crowned jewel of college golf, producing a powerhouse that does nothing but win. And that winning tradition was kept alive this past week, as the Camels captured their record fifth national championship in men’s golf.

If you’re out there thinking that five victories in the PGA Jones Cup aren’t that impressive, take into account that the tournament has only existed for 16 years. So while Campbell has only won five national titles, that’s basically winning a third of the national championships ever played.

That’s what I call dominance.

To take this title, Campbell had to hold off New Mexico State, who was on a run of their own, winning back to back titles the past two years.

The team was extremely excited to be back in the winner’s spot and understood how big of a moment it was. “Winning here is huge. It’s what we came down here to do,” said senior Ian Illig. “We wanted to prove we were the best in the country. It’s our national championship, our Ryder Cup, yeah, it all fits. We talk about it a lot, and you definitely have to play well to make the team.”

Illig was a strong force that helped carry the Camels to victory, shooting a final round 71. The driving force behind the victory, however, was fifth year senior Kyle Akins, who won an individual honor for finishing the tournament with a score of 143, one-under par. Rounding out the winning squad were sophomore Luke Polland, senior Brian Jones, and senior Ben Schlesman.

Despite being a powerhouse college golf program, not many Campbell alumni have carried their success to a professional level. Maybe now, one of the men who helped the Camels recapture the national championship will be able to find similar success on the PGA TOUR.


Cover Photo via Twitter

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