St. John Fisher's Harris wins NCAA Division III golf title

John Boccacino
Courtesy of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

Honeoye native and golfer Scott Harris Jr. gave St. John Fisher College its first national title Friday.

Despite playing against the best Division III golfers in the country, Harris, a senior, said the toughest part of winning the 2008 NCAA Division III individual golf championship was being away from Cameron Michael, his 2-year-old son.

The championship and the Jack Nicklaus Award as the college golfer of the year will have to suffice.

Harris shot a final-round 75 and hung on to capture the individual crown at Chateau Elan Resort in Braselton, Ga.

"It was hard being down here a whole week without my little man," said Harris, who, as the Nicklaus winner, will attend a dinner with the Golden Bear and the three other golfers of the year in two weeks.

"But I'm really excited right now. ... I didn't expect to win the Nicklaus award ... this is a great honor. I actually feel more satisfied winning the Nicklaus than the individual championship."

This is Fisher's first national championship in the school's 45-year athletic history. Head coach Bob Simms was named the 2008 National Coach of the Year.

Harris shot a 1-over-par 285 (68-71-71-75) for the four-day tournament to outscore Chris Green of Illinois Wesleyan by five strokes.

Harris bogeyed the first two holes before making birdie on the par-5 third hole. Both of his final-round birdies on the front nine came on par 5s.

The back nine was about survival for Harris, who parred seven of the first eight holes to maintain his wire-to-wire lead. Between Harris and the University of Rochester's Stephen Goodridge (2006, Attica), Section V graduates have won two of the last three Division III national championships.

Harris, the two-time Empire 8 Conference champion and 2008 preseason All-America selection, won eight tournaments during his senior season.

His team shot a 306 for a four-day total of 1,199 to finish third in the team competition, seven shots behind St. John's (Minn.) and the University of Redlands (Wash.) in the field of 23 teams.

"I'm very surprised to be the coach of the year," Sims said. "I have good players, and this award is a reflection of that. The team played very well and gave it 100 percent, but the ball just didn't bounce our way today."

Besides Harris, North Rose-Wolcott's Tom Muto Jr. (74), Webster Schroeder's Bobby McCartney (78), Livonia's James Ozzello (79) and Nick Velasco (80) rounded out Fisher's team. Fisher placed 17th at the NCAAs last year.