HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla.—Jackson Hiller had a record-breaking effort to medal by five strokes, and the No. 3 Oglethorpe men's golf team nearly took the team win at the NCAA Division III Fall Preview Tuesday at Mission Inn Resort and Club. The Stormy Petrels led the field at the completion of 36 holes and maintained that lead well into the final round before finally settling in at third overall, two strokes off the win.
Hosted by Mission Inn, the event served as the preview for the upcoming 2026 NCAA National Championships. The field featured 20 teams in the latest national top-25 poll, including each of the top 16.
The event saw Hiller set the Oglethorpe 54-hole scoring record with a blistering 66-68-68 (202), a 13 under par that topped the previous record of 203Â set by Beck Lewis in 2023. It was Hiller's second win of the season and third win of his career.
This also marked the second straight tournament to start the season that Oglethorpe was in the hunt for the team win in the closing stretch, going head-to-head with several other national top-five teams.
Hiller held the individual lead after all three rounds. His opening-round 66 was just three strokes shy of Oglethorpe's 18-hole scoring record, and he fired a 32 on the front nine highlighted by four straight birdies from holes 4 through 7.
Two days later, entering the final round with the weight of the individual lead mounting, Hiller rose to the challenge with another strong start highlighted by a 31 on the front nine. This one featured five birdies, three of which came back-to-back-to-back across the first three holes.
Diego Passos followed Hiller in 22nd overall after firing 75-70-73, and Ryan Dunn came after that in 44th with scores of 70-76-76. Rounding out the lineup for the Petrels were Barton Abstein and Corbin Scott, both in the top 100. Abstein was inside the top 25 after shooting 74-71 over the first two rounds.
Oglethorpe's 3 under par 285 over the second round marked the fourth best round of the tournament. It followed an even par effort on the first round.
Tournament Notes
- Oglethorpe went 9 under on the par 5's to finish second in par 5 scoring.
- The Petrels ranked fourth for birdies with 48 second for eagles with two.
- Hiller led the field in par 3 and par 5 scoring at 2 under and 8 under, respectively. He also led the field in birdies with 19.
- Hiller finished third in par 4 scoring at 3 under.
- Dunn tallied 37 pars which ranked eighth.
Up Next
Oglethorpe hosts the West Pines Collegiate in Douglasville, Georgia, Monday-Tuesday, Oct. 6-7, at West Pines Golf Club. The Stormy Petrels took the team win and Hiller medalist honors at last season's West Pines event.
