GREENSBORO, N.C. - Entering the men's golf ODAC Championship as a 9th seed, the Bridgewater College team played the first two rounds in good form, but took it up a notch on Wednesday and made the biggest jump on the leaderboard, jumping three spots to finish 5th at the conclusion of play. The Eagles' final round score of 294 bested the Nos. 14, 18, 22, and 49th-ranked teams in the nation for the day and gave the team their best finish in the championship since 2021.
 
The participants in the championship were fortunate to have three days of exemplary weather and the venue, Forest Oaks Golf Club, was a fun and challenging layout that formerly hosted a PGA Tour event. The Bridgewater College team took advantage of the weather, venue, and pairings with some elite teams to step up and have a successful week. In fact, their three-day total of 894 was the second-best Bridgewater total in the history of the ODAC Championship, behind only the 2022 edition, which saw low scores across the board.
 
"This was the kind of week that players and coaches can really enjoy, from the weather, the course, to the way the guys performed," said head coach John Rogers. "We came in here as a low seed with three freshmen in the lineup, and with some less favorable memories from last year's championship, but these guys were cool under pressure and really stepped it up."
 
The 2023 championship was also played at Forest Oaks, but this year's squad beat the Bridgewater performance from two years ago by thirty nine strokes, thanks in large part to the efforts of Max Bondurant, who completed his collegiate career today. After a pair of 73s to open the tournament, Bondurant looked good to finish near the top of the leaderboard -- but today (starting on the back nine) he had a double-bogey and bogey within three holes. He also had a shaky par on his fourth hole, but after that he turned it on and made sure to complete his career in style. He birdied No. 16 and then dunked his approach on the par-5 18th hole for an eagle to turn at even. 
 
Two birdies and two pars on the inward nine gave him a round of 72 (E). Bondurant finished in a tie for 5th and took home the 7th place flag after a tie-breaker. His 5th-place finish was the best finish for an Eagle in the championship since 2021 (Ronnie Uszenski). He was able to walk the final fairway with his brother on the bag and his father alongside. On the week, Bondurant was tied for second in the field in par-5 play (-6).
 
But Bondurant did not help the Eagles move forward on his own. Freshman Will Layton started the week telling his coach that his swing was falling apart. But he pulled it together to post 76-74 the first two days, and today he made three birdies on the front to get some momentum. He was -2 through thirteen holes, and even after dropping two strokes on the way in, he posted 72, the best score of his young collegiate career. He jumped six spots to claim the No. 14 flag, and Rogers said he could not have been more impressed with the freshman's gutsy performance.
 
Fellow-freshman, Walker Gillespie, also came up big for Bridgewater this week. He chased scores of 72 and 74 with a solid 75 today, and he took home the No. 13 flag, making the Eagles one of only three teams to place three players in the top-18. The straight-hitting player from Giles had sixteen pars on Tuesday and added thirteen more today. He ended up third in the field in par-4 performance for the week (+1 total).
 
Junior Brandon Washburn came off a frustrating second round and three-putted the first green of the day today, but then he got on track to help the team make their move. He had three birdies and came to the final hole at just +1. Unfortunately he found a fairway bunker and then some tall grass on the closing hole, and he ended up getting up-and-down from 50 yards for a double-bogey. Rogers commented that Washburn is a leader in every way for the team and that he knew he would grind on every shot until the end. His final round 75 moved Washburn up seven spots to finish 37th.
 
Freshman Christian Carroll was not able to provide the Eagles with a score in his first championship, but he improved every day, 89-83-81. 
 
Bondurant, despite arriving at Bridgewater without much competitive experience, quietly put together an exemplary career. The South County High School product really emerged during his final two seasons in college, when he averaged 75.4 and had four top-10 finishes; this despite the fact that he missed the first half of his senior year with an injury.
 
In his junior season he shot 74-69 to come in second in the VSGA Intercollegiate, leading the team to a dramatic 2nd-place finish when he dropped a twenty-foot eagle putt on the final green. That year he also medaled in the small-field ODAC Preview and was named to the All-ODAC team. 
 
This year, in only his third event back from injury, he shot 75-69 to place 4th in The Ruckus. With his standout performances as an upperclassman, Bondurant moved into the 6th spot on the all-time scoring list at Bridgewater (76.97). 
 
"Max is just the kind of guy we love bringing into Bridgewater," said Rogers. "He flew a little under the radar coming out of high school, and it took him a season or two to continue developing, but then he became a leader and quietly made a mark on our record books. He plays a very mature game on the course, choosing wise targets and playing within himself even though he has the kind of length that makes some guys play a bit recklessly. It has been great having him on the team, and on a personal note, it was a pleasure coaching him."
 
Rogers also closed his career today. He leaves as the only women's golf coach in Bridgewater history (13 years), and as the first head coach who led both golf teams simultaneously. He coached the men's team for eight seasons, though he first connected with the program as an instructor starting in 1999. 
 
A highlight season as the men's head coach was 2019-2020, during which the Eagles won two of their first six tournaments and broke the school scoring record (299.8). That was the first multi-win season in eight years for Bridgewater, but it was unfortunately cut short by the Covid pandemic before they got to the ODAC championship.
 
"It has been a challenging few weeks telling these amazing athletes that I would not be back in the fall, and then going through our final tournaments, knowing it was all coming to an end." said Rogers. "I have been in the golf industry my entire adult life, though, and I can say this -- nothing in my career has been better than being on the driving range and on the road with the Eagles, competing and enjoying the camaraderie. The memories and friendships that have come from my days as a Bridgewater coach are invaluable. I have been blessed by our athletes. And I'm thankful to close my career with such an enjoyable experience in North Carolina."
 
Lynchburg won their second-straight ODAC Championship, holding off a furious charge by W&L, the top-ranked team in the nation. In the end, the Eagles were only beaten this week by four teams, all of who were ranked inside the top-20. Rogers added a final comment, saying "All of us Bridgewater Eagles owe a huge debt of gratitude to my assistant, Mike Clark, who has spent his retirement days traveling all over the east coast, working hard for our program. There was absolutely no let-down when he made the jump from a phenomenal football career to golf, and I know the athletes love him as much as I do."
 
The men's golf team will kick off the 2025-2026 season in September.