PENFIELD, N.Y. – The No. 2-ranked Washington and Lee University men's golf team closed out the 2025 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship with a strong final round, finishing fourth overall at Midvale Country Club and Cobblestone Creek Country Club with a four-round score of 298-309-289-287—1183 (+31).
The Generals posted their best round of the tournament on Friday, firing a 1-under-par 287 to climb two spots on the leaderboard and secure their fourth straight top-10 national finish. W&L's 287 was the second-best round of the day, just behind national champion Methodist, who closed with a tournament-low 282 (-6).
W&L finished just one stroke behind No. 3 Emory (+30) and three back of runner-up No. 5 Illinois Wesleyan (+28). The Generals made a final push over the last four holes, but five bogeys and two birdies left them three over during that stretch, narrowly missing a top-two finish. Still, the effort lifted W&L past No. 11 Carnegie Mellon (+33) and No. 9 Huntingdon (+38).
This year's fourth-place finish marks another milestone for the Generals, who have now recorded top-10 finishes in four straight NCAA Championships: sixth in 2024, ninth in 2023, and eighth in 2022. Their best-ever national finish remains runner-up in 2018.
Team Leaderboard (Top 6):
- No. 1 Methodist – 1175 (+23)
- No. 5 Illinois Wesleyan – 1180 (+28)
- No. 3 Emory – 1182 (+30)
- No. 2 Washington and Lee – 1183 (+31)
- No. 11 Carnegie Mellon – 1185 (+33)
- No. 9 Huntingdon – 1190 (+38)
Individual Highlights:
- Jonathan McEwen capped off his sophomore season with a T-10th finish, carding 74-73-73-72—292 (+4). He totaled 14 birdies and an eagle across four rounds and was one of only four players to shoot even par or better on Friday. Following the tournament, McEwen was named a PING First Team All-American by the GCAA.
- First-year Timothy Kaufman placed 26th overall, posting 73-79-71-73—296 (+8). His best round came on Wednesday, when he shot 1-under with 13 pars and three birdies. Kaufman totaled 13 birdies in his first NCAA Championship appearance.
- Senior Elias Malakoff produced a final collegiate round with a 70 (-2)—the lowest by a General in the tournament—to surge 47 spots up the leaderboard and finish 32nd at 79-78-72-70—299 (+11). He posted six birdies in the final round and 12 total for the week.
- First-year Charlie Krasnewich made a strong debut at the NCAA Championship, finishing T-52nd at +15 (75-83-73-72—303). He carded an eagle on hole 17 in the fourth round and was -3 on the back nine before finishing the front side +3 to close even for the day. He notched seven birdies overall and jumped 16 spots in the final round.
- Senior Will Braxton ended his collegiate career on a high note with his best round of the tournament—a 1-over 73—to finish T-59th at +17 (76-79-77-73—305). He added 11 birdies over the week and moved up seven places on the final day.
Up Next:
With the 2024–25 season complete, W&L caps one of the most successful years in program history with three tournament wins, a runner-up finish at the ODAC Championship, and a top-five national finish.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
