NEWS
Local Golfer Wins River Run Collegiate
Busse on the tee at the par-3 8th hole during Monday’s first round.
Carter Busse won the 2023 River Run Collegiate tournament. And while he is a local golfer, he isn’t a Davidson Wildcat. Busse was recruited by and plays for the East Carolina University Pirates.
The ECU Pirates, with tournament champion Carter Busse.
The 54-hole 2-day event was held at the par 70, 6,871-yard River Run Country Club. This year’s tournament featured 14 teams: Appalachian State, Davidson, Delaware, East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Gardner-Webb, George Mason, Loyola-Chicago, Old Dominion, Presbyterian, Queens, Radford, William & Mary, Winthrop. Each team competed with 5 golfers. An additional 10 golfers played as individuals.
As the second round of play wrapped up late Monday, there were three generations of Busse’s family walking the final holes with him. Parents Hunter and Chuck Busse, sister Sarah, and maternal grandparents Kim and Andy Beard live in Davidson and were beaming with pride as he led the field.
The tournament victory is Busse’s first at the collegiate level, and if he can continue to string great rounds of golf together like he did over the past two days, it won’t be his last.
Busse finished 10 under par, with rounds of 68 and 64 Monday and a final round of 68 Tuesday. His 3-round 200 total bested the next golfer by three shots. Radford’s Bryce Corbett shot a 67 Tuesday, after rounds of 66 and 70 Monday.
Radford won the team play, followed by ECU. Davidson and Delaware tied for third.
The Radford Highlanders – winners of the River Run Collegiate team competition.
Wes Marshall, River Run General Manager, spoke to all the golfers and coaches before the awards presentation. He thanked the team for patience as some of the ongoing construction around the course. He promised that work would be completed by next year’s tournament.
With that, Davidson head coach Tim Straub presented the individual and team awards.
Busse is a junior at ECU and golfed at Lake Norman Charter during high school. He led LNC to two consecutive NCHSAA 2A state championships and was a 3-year letterman.
Top 10 Individuals
Carter Busse East Carolina -10
Bryce Corbett Radford -7
Nick Taliaferro Radford -4
Joshua Stewart Davidson College -4
Cam Kellett Eastern Michigan -3
Ariyachatvakin Delaware -2
Will Davis Davidson College -2
Jakob Chicoyne Old Dominion -1
Bobby Dudeck Radford -1
Avery Mahoney Eastern Michigan E
Final Team Rankings
1 – Radford
2 – East Carolina
T3 – Davidson College
T3 – Delaware
5 – Old Dominion University
6 – Eastern Michigan
7 – George Mason
T8 – Winthrop
T8 – William & Mary
10 – Gardner-Webb
T11 – Appalachian State University
T11 – Loyola University – Chicago
13 – Queens University of Charlotte
14 – High Point University