VICTOR, N.Y. — Averett University men's golf senior
Killian O'Reilly began play Tuesday at the 2025 NCAA Division III NCAA National Championships with a 5-over-par 77 during his opening round, which was played at Cobblestone Creek Country Club.
Playing as one of 10 individuals among the 43 teams competing, O'Reilly started the day with a birdie on the first hole on the par-72, 6,770-yard course. Bogeys on No. 2 and No. 9 put him at 1-over at the turn. He shot 4-over on the back nine to finish at 5-over for the day, putting him in a 20-way tie for 100th in a field of 225. However, the field between O'Reilly and the top is only a margin of nine strokes between the top 120 golfers. University of Lynchburg's Edward Coffren and Bethel University's Will Karkoc lead the field at 4-under.
"I'm happy with how I played regardless of the score today," O'Reilly said. "I drove the ball well and hit my approaches well, too. Just my putting really let me down today. I hit a lot of great putts that didn't go in."
Half of the field played at Cobblestone Creek and the other half played at nearby Midvale Country Club. Competitors will play the opposite course on Wednesday. Because of rainy conditions in Wednesday's forecast, the second round will be a shotgun start at 8 a.m. After the completion of 36 holes over the first two rounds, the field will be trimmed to the top 18 teams and the top six individuals not on one of the top 18 teams for the final 36 holes.
"It's interesting because we played some really solid golf today," Averett Director of Golf
Jeremy Gamba said. "It was one of those days where you hit a lot of really good putts but they just don't go in. Tomorrow is a new day, though, and we'll get back to it at 8 a.m."
O'Reilly knows he has his work cut out for him but remains positive entering Wednesday's second round at Midvale Country Club.
"I'm excited for tomorrow," he said. "The course has much smoother greens and I know I'll make more putts. In order to play Rounds 3 and 4, I'll definitely have to go low — which I'm more than capable of doing. Regardless of what happens, I'm going to give it my all."
O'Reilly, a PING All-Region and All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference First Team selection, was one of 10 individuals from teams not on a school within the 43-team field who made the tournament. O'Reilly was the first Cougar to make the field as an individual since Craig Hosie placed 10th overall in the 2004 NCAA Division III National Championships. It's O'Reilly's second appearance in the national tournament after also competing with Averett as part of the team that qualified in 2023.
