The junior trails the leaders by just two shots heading into Friday's final round of the Division 3 Golf Championship.
"I think five or six under from me gives me a chance (Friday) and I've been close to shooting that. Just play my game I guess and see what happens. If I get rolling and stay rolling I've got a shot."
For the third straight day, Sam Davidson '24 started hot, birdieing the first two holes of Thursday's Division III men's golf championship. That's the good news. The bad: For the third straight day he couldn't stay hot. Sam bogeyed two of his last five holes, leaving him at even par for the day and 2-under for the tournament, he is tied for third, three shots behind leader Robb Kinder of Christopher Newport University.
It's a tight leaderboard at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Ky., – Sam and five others golfers are within three shots of the lead – but Sam says he's seen glimpses of promise in his game that hint to making a run in the final round Friday.
"I think five or six under from me gives me a chance (Friday) and I've been close to shooting that," says Sam, who was 5 under at one point in the second round. "Just play my game, I guess, and see what happens. If I get rolling and stay rolling I've got a shot."
The Quakers came into the championship with hopes of capturing a fourth national team title -- especially after running off with the Old Dominion Athletic Conference title last month at Forest Oaks Country Club in Greensboro.
But after jumping out to an early first-round lead on Wednesday, the team sputtered. The Quakers are 14-over as a team, 14 shots behind defending champion Methodist University.
In the ODAC championship, Sam, a Business Administration major from Asheboro entered the final round two shots off leader Pierce Robinson of Washington and Lee. He shot a 2-under par 69 in the final round to finish as medalist.
Winning the ODAC was the 19th conference golf title for Guilford, an ODAC record. Guilford coach Crawford said former golf coach Jack Jensen made winning ODAC titles easy at Guilford. Jensen also won Division III national golf titles at Guilford in 2022 and 2005 and an NAIA title in 1989. “Coach Jensen made things look a lot easier than they actually are. These guys never backed down.”
Four Guilford golfers made the ODAC’s all-conference team: Sam and Michael Vick '25 made first team. Michael was also named the ODAC’s golfer of the year, James Alden '24 and Evan Mendyk '25 made second team; sophomore Parker Cumbea '25 made third team. Adam received the ODAC’s Jack Jensen Coach of the Year Award.