This week, the Vikings proved that they are not afraid to tee up against nationally ranked competition. Berry's men's golf team placed 15th out of 18 at the Gate City Invitational in Greensboro, N.C. on Sept. 18-19. Over half of their opponents were ranked in the top 20 in the country according to the 2023-24 Preseason Bushnell/Golfweek DIII Coaches Poll.
 
With a team score of 908, the Berry men beat 10th ranked Piedmont by three shots over three rounds. The Vikings also topped conference opponent Rhodes College by one shot, thanks in part to three birdies on the 18th hole during the last round of play from the Berry team.
 
Emory University lived up the prestige that comes with being the third ranked team in the country, shooting 21-under par for the tournament. The seventh ranked nationally and second place team at the invitational, conference rival Oglethorpe College shot five-under par over two days.
 
The Vikings showed promise on the front nine of the first round when sophomore Andrew Garger eagled on the seventh hole. However, a collective score of 19-over par on the front nine of the second round would prove to be too difficult to bounce back from.
 
Leading the Vikings in scoring was Garger who finished in a tie for 43rd. The sophomore transfer started off hot, scoring one-under in the front nine of his first round. The Sharpsburg native remained consistent throughout the rest of the tournament, carding 10-over par.
 
Noah Farland and Kevin Verrill each finished in a tie for 56th, shooting 227. Farland climbed 13 spots on the leaderboard after a difficult first round. The freshman did not let his 11-over par round set the tone for the rest of the tournament as he came back and shot just three-over collectively over the next two rounds.
 
Sophomore John Walters finished in a tie for 79th, carding 235. Another underclassman, sophomore Alec Ortiz bookended the scoring for the Vikings, shooting 239 and earning 88th place.
 
The Vikings will carry this experience with them when they next tee it up at the Wabash Invitational in Indianapolis, Ind., on Oct. 9-10.