US COLLEGE GOLF - Robinson helps college to national title

Former Ayrshire Boys Champion Colin Robinson from Largs - second from the left in the picture - has been starring recently with his college team mates at the John A Logan College, as they won the National Junior College Athletic Association national tournament.

(The following report is from the John A Logan College website) :-

There would be no fizzle, no choke job. Not on this day. Not with this bunch.

Not only did the John A. Logan College men’s golf team protect its nine-stroke lead Friday in the final round of the National Junior College Athletic Association national tournament held at the Goose Pond Colony golf course in Scottsboro, Ala., it added to the lead. The Volunteers won the title by 12 strokes over No. 1-ranked South Mountain, Ariz. (1,153 to 1,165). Mesa, Ariz. was third at 1,167. It is Logan’s second national title in three years. Both times, the the Vols won the championship at Goose Pond.

Logan only trailed the first day of the tournament - by seven strokes to Mesa, Ariz. (290 to 297). The Vols took over the lead by three strokes Wednesday with a tournament best round of 280 fueled by freshman Derek Rohlfing’s six-under-par 66; expanded the advantage to nine strokes Thursday with a round of 290 and put the competition away early on Friday behind their ace, Filip Timmerman.

The sophomore from Santiago, Chile finished four-under-par 68 for the day Friday and eight under through four rounds (280) for the tournament, placing him first among individual performers. He was seven strokes ahead of his nearest challenger, Dan Balgooyen of Muskegon Community College. Ironically, Timmerman’s former teammate and good friend, Marcelo Rozo, won the individual title last year for the Vols.

JALC freshmen Colin Robinson and Bryce Doughty each shot even par 72s Friday to help the Vols seal the deal. Robinson finished 16th overall with a 291. Doughty tied for 25th at 295. Rohlfing checked in with a 74 and placed eighth among individual performers at 289. Colin Hendrickson’s 75 was not counted on the team score. He still managed to tied for 66th individually with a 307.

Timmerman and Rohlfing were named First Team All-Americans. Robinson was named Second Team and Doughty Honorable Mention. Vols head coach Tom Ferris was selected NJCAA Coach of the Year.
Ferris said he couldn’t be more proud of his team.

“This is a team that had a lot of talent, even with only one sophomore and the rest freshmen,” he said. “Fortunately, as the season progressed, the freshmen matured and saved their best golf for when it counted the most - the end of the season. I guess you could say we peaked at the right time.”
Ferris said the players were determined to win the tournament.

“They worked hard and answered the challenge,” he said. “You have to have the talent, the work ethic and everything has to fall into place to win. This is our second national title. And it never gets old. The first one was, of course, special. But this one was equally satisfying. I couldn’t be happier.”

Timmerman said winning both a team and individual title was overwhelming to him.
“That was my expectation, but to go out there and achieve it…was very special to me,” he said. “I knew that we had the game to get it done, and today, it happened.”
Timmerman said that when he birdied the first three holes Friday, he knew he was on his game.
“I knew it was my day. That was the best part,” he said.

The Vols were decked out in white shirts and navy shorts Friday in tribute to Seve Ballesteros, the Spanish pro who died of brain cancer earlier this month at the age of 54. Robinson, a native of Scotland, came up with the idea.

“Since I was a kid, I have been a huge Seve Ballesteros fan. I was inspired by him, so I asked the guys if they wouldn’t mind wearing navy blue and white on our final day in his honor. Everyone thought it was a good idea. I would like to think that if he was looking down on us today, he would be proud of this John A. Logan team.”