Thrilling Upsets at 2024 College Disc Golf National Championships

The excitement is building at the 2024 College Disc Golf National Championships (CDGNC) in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Thursday saw a series of thrilling upsets and dramatic finishes across all divisions. In the Men's Division I singles, Ferris State's Benjamin Zorn staged an incredible comeback to take the title by one stroke over Cincinnati's Ilkin Groh.

Zorn, who began his final round three strokes back, played flawlessly on the infamous USDGC holes at Winthrop Lakefront, carding a birdie on the 18th hole to secure the win. This remarkable performance sent shockwaves of excitement through the Ferris State camp as Zorn celebrated with his teammates.

Meanwhile, in Men's Division II singles, Liberty University's Greyson Lifto emerged victorious by one stroke over Texas Tech's Justin Durham. Three players tied for third place, just two strokes behind Lifto's impressive round.

In Men's Division III singles, UNC Charlotte's Will Hewitt edged out Liberty's Graham Clawson by a single stroke after carding an eagle on the 17th hole at Winthrop Meadows.

The team standings are now under intense scrutiny, with every division featuring closely contested battles. In Men's Division I, UNC Charlotte has taken the lead, while Ohio State and Kentucky are hot on their heels. The top teams in Women's Division I – Liberty, Clemson, and Emporia State – are locked in a fierce three-way battle.

The 2024 CDGNC is shaping up to be an unforgettable event, with dramatic finishes, nail-biting tension, and heart-stopping upsets keeping spectators on the edge of their seats. With two rounds remaining, anything can happen as teams fight for supremacy in each division.

For those eager to stay updated on the action, download the PDGA App or follow the live scoring and team standings on the PDGA website. Video coverage is available through Gatekeeper Media and Ace Run Pro, with post-production coverage being uploaded daily on the PDGA's YouTube channel. Follow the excitement of the 2024 CDGNC on social media for the latest updates and behind-the-scenes insights.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

Ferris State's Benjamin Zorn celebrates his Men's Division I singles title at the 2024 CDGNC. Photo: Justin Anderson / PDGA

Things are heating up at the 2024 College Disc Golf National Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

More champions were crowned on Thursday and it came down to the wire.

In Men’s Division I singles, Ferris State’s Benjamin Zorn battled the loop around Winthrop Lakefront, the wind and a strong field to jump all the way from the third card – and three strokes back – to the top spot in College Disc Golf men’s singles.

Ferris State's Benjamin Zorn. Photo: Justin Anderson / PDGA

Zorn was the only player that played the final 9 – which featured the infamous USDGC holes of 17, 18 and 1 – clean. The finishing hole for the CDGNC is Hole 3 of the USDGC layout and Zorn carded the birdie to seal his one-stroke win, setting off an emotional celebration with his Ferris State teammates.

Men's Division I Singles First Team All-Americans. Photo: PDGA Media

Cincinnati’s Ilkin Groh finished second and Milligan’’s Benjamin Wager rounded out the podium.

It was a sprint to the finish in Men’s Division II singles with Liberty University’s Greyson Lifto taking a one-stroke win over Texas Tech’s Justin Durham. Three players tied for third, just two strokes off Lifto’s round, which checked in with an unofficial 1024 rating. It was the same margin of victory for UNC Chartlotte’s Will Hewitt in Men’s Division III singles. Hewitt carded an eagle on the 17th at Winthrop Meadows to grab the one-stroke win over Liberty’s Graham Clawson.

With singles action concluded, the attention now shifts squarely on the team standings, and it’s going to be a battle to the finish in every division.

UNC Charlotte leads the Men's Division I team standings entering Moving Day in Rock Hill. Photo: PDGA Media

In Men’s Division I play, UNC Charlotte’s Tom Shanley, Glenn Fister, Owen Rice and Jack Lang jumped eight spots into solo first after their singles round (all singles scores are averaged and factored into the team standings) for a two-stroke lead over Ohio State’s Max Sheetz, Ethan Owens, Manny Fakkas and Carson Smith. Those two teams will be featured on post-production coverage from Gatekeeper Media on the PDGA’s YouTube page.

UNC Charlotte was one of four teams to hit double digits at Winthrop Lakefront. The hot round was set by Kentucky’s Thor Blankenship, Jon Barth, Paul Roberts and Zavier Wu, whose 11-under round lifted them 111 spots into the top 10.

Cincinnati and Emporia State – the 1-2 finishers from a year ago – are on the chase card, tied at 3-under and three strokes off the lead.

Liberty and Clemson are close at the top of the Women's Division I team standings. Photos: Justin Anderson / PDGA

It’s a three-way showdown in Women’s Division I as well between the leaders in Liberty (Julia Dimartino and Maggie Presley) at 1-under and two teams right on their heels: Clemson (Missoury Wolff and Noelle Erb) and Emporia State (Atlanta Krueger and Maya Ringgold).

Liberty is the only team under par after keeping their one-stroke lead after the singles action over Clemson. Emporia State is two strokes off the lead as action shifts to the tougher Camp Canaan track on Thursday. That action will be covered by Ace Run Pro on the PDGA’s YouTube channel.

UNC Charlotte is on top of the Men’s Division II leaderboard as well with Jake Rice, Danny Hamilton, Benjamin Vaca and Zizzy Newell leading three teams – Missouri S&T, University of Dayton and UC Santa Cruz – by just a single stroke. Wisconsin Whitewater and Liberty are just two strokes off of the lead in one of the tightest battles at the 2024 CDGNC with two rounds to go before more champions are crowned.

Here's how to follow the 2024 CDGNC:

Download the PDGA App

PDGA Live Scoring

Team Standings & Scores

Singles Standings & Scores

Video Coverage

Gatekeeper Media and Ace Run Pro will be on hand covering all of the DI action all week. Post-production coverage will be posted daily on the PDGA's YouTube channel.

Social Media

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/champions-crowned-battles-intensify