Greatest Moment No. 6: May 13, 2004
We continue with the announcement of the 10 Greatest Moments in Oglethorpe Athletic history as voted on by Stormy Petrel fans and alumni by revealing Moment No. 6.
Moment No. 6: May 13, 2004
Oglethorpe men’s golfer Trent Erb caps a scintillating senior season by receiving the 2003-2004 Jack Nicklaus Award for National Player-of-the-Year at the 2004 NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships held at the PGA of Southern California Golf Course at Oak Valley. In the final round of his Oglethorpe career, Erb carded a Championship Day Four one-under par 71 to move him into a tie for third place individually and cement his status as the Division III Men’s Player-of-the-Year.
Erb positioned himself nicely as one of six regional finalists for the Jack Nicklaus Award after an outstanding fall season. His candidacy soared in April of 2004 when he won his second consecutive Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Golfer-of-the-Year award by earning medalist honors at the 36-hole conference championship event.
Playing for the 2004 SCAC Title at the Renaissance Pine Isle Resort at Lake Lanier, Georgia, Erb posted a two-day total of 144 (71-73) to finish in a tie with Hendrix Colleges’ Justin Long. Erb then bested Long in the one hole playoff on the par 4 pavilion 18th hole into a peninsula green to claim the victory. The two-day total of 144 is the sixth best total posted during the 36-hole Conference Championship set-up. The previous year, Erb won his first SCAC Golfer-of-the-Year title by carding a total of 141 (72-69) at the Hulman Links Golf Course in Terra Haute, Indiana. The 141 stands as the second best total in SCAC history at a men’s golf championship event.
Erb stepped onto the PGA of Southern California Golf Course at Oak Valley as the favorite to claim the Jack Nicklaus Award and, despite a shaky start, did not disappoint on his way to the status-cementing third place finish. He carded rounds of 74-72—72-71 for total of one-over par 289 to finish just seven strokes behind Arnold Palmer award winner Chad Polling of Ohio Wesleyan. Erb was announced as the Jack Nicklaus Award winner following the conclusion of Day Four in front of a packed crowd in front of the clubhouse scoreboard.
In addition to collecting the Jack Nicklaus Award, Erb also captured the 2003-2004 Golfstat Cup given to the player at each Division with the lowest season scoring average. Erb finished his senior season with a 72.67 scoring average to earn the distinction amongst Division III golfers while current PGA Tour phenom Bill Haas of Wake Forest won the Division I honors that same year. Other Golfstat Cup winners over the years have included PGA stalwarts Hunter Mahan, Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald and Tiger Woods.
In the accompanying photo, Erb is shown lining up at putt at the 2004 Jekyll Island Collegiate Invitational, a tournament the Oglethorpe University’s men’s golf program will host for the eleventh straight year next weekend, March 19-21, 2010.
Greatest Moment No. 5 will be announced next Friday, March 19 and the number one moment will be revealed during Alumni Weekend festivities April 16-18 at the April 17 Stormy Petrel Athletic Buffet being held in the Dorough Field House. For more information about Alumni Weekend or to register, visit www.alumni.oglethorpe.edu.
To view the listing of Greatest Moments that have been announced thus far, go here.
