Barton College has never had an individual national champion at the NCAA level, but in 2004 Courtney Faircloth came as close as anyone can without winning.

Shooting rounds of 73, 74, 71 and 75 for a 293 total over four days, Faircloth trailed only J.J. Jakovac of California State University Chico, who won his second NCAA Division II national championship that day.  (Jakovac now caddies for PGA Tour player Ryan Moore).

“Even though I didn’t win, I was right there, and that was quite an experience,” Faircloth said.  “But it was sort of bittersweet because my Barton golfing career was over.”

That career ended with Faircloth recording one of the most impressive resumes in Barton golf history.  The Barton NCAA-era records that he still owns outright or shares include:  most wins in a season (four in 2004), most wins in a career (seven), highest national ranking (six in 2003) and rounds of par of better (14 in 2003).

Two final Barton records of note:  in 2004, Faircloth played against a total of 1,015 competitors and defeated 94.6 percent of them, by far the best percentage in school history; in his career, he faces off against 4,100 opponents and beat 86.7 percent of them.

He was named NCAA Division II All-American in each of his final two seasons and was also chosen as a NCAA Division II Scholar All-American twice.  In its final season as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) before changing its name, the league selected an All-Time CVAC Team for each sport and Faircloth was among the golfers chosen.

“Courtney had all the tools,” his Barton Head Coach John Hackney said. “He drove the ball straight, was a great ball striker and was excellent around the greens.  When he putted well, he was going to win tournaments, and he won a lot of tournaments.

“He could have made a living playing golf.  His game was that good.”

Even before he arrived at Barton, Faircloth had proven could play with the best of the best.  Just weeks after graduating high school and signing with Barton, Faircloth not only qualified for the U.S. Amateur Public Links in Portland, Ore., but successfully made it through the stroke-play portion with a two-day total of 147 (four shots better than 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup members Jimmy Walker and Hunter Mahan) before losing in the match-play Round of 64.

“My brother (Chris) and I went out there, and I actually qualified for match play as the No. 15 seed, but unfortunately lost out in the first round,” Faircloth said.  “But what an unbelievable experience.  It’s pretty neat to go back and look at the names of the people in that tournament, because a lot of them are on tour now.  It’s pretty cool.”

His losses in college came against players like Jakovac, a three-time All-American and 2004 U.S. Palmer Cup member and Chad Collins, to whom he finished runner-up multiple times at the Camp LeJeune Intercollegiate before winning it himself as a senior.  Collins, who split time between the PGA Tour and Web.com tour in 2014, posted a top-10 finish at the PGA’s Humana Challenge with a score of 22-under par.

Faircloth did give professional golf a try after graduating from Barton, playing occasionally on the Web.com Tour and frequently on the mini-tour circuit.

He recalls walking up the 18^th fairway of a mini-tour event in 2004 and asking his playing partner that day, Nick Flanagan, if he would be playing in a nearby event the following week.

“No, the British Open,” responded Flanagan.

Flanagan had qualified for one of golf’s majors by winning the 2003 U.S. Amateur Championship, and Faircloth was matching him stroke for stroke on the mini-tour.

But Faircloth shared that anecdote as an illustration of the infinitesimally fine line between the players at the professional level.

"I averaged about 71 out there (as a professional), which was OK, but I’ve also shot a 66 and not even been the low man in my group,” Faircloth said.  “There is just so much talent out there.

“In golf, you’re not drafted.  You have to just play your way to the PGA Tour, and it’s just you.”

Faircloth could have continued battling down that road, knowing he had the skill to compete.  But he had other priorities.

“I met my wife (Sunny) just before starting college, dated her all the way through Barton and ended up marrying her in 2005,” he said.  “Well, it was all during 2004 and 2005 when I was traveling by myself.  I would stay with friends near Charlotte when I could or up in Massachusetts.  But it was so difficult to be away, especially being newly married, being in a hotel by yourself.  That led me to get away from golf.  I just wanted to be home.”

He settled on a less glamorous but highly-successful job as a private banking advisor for PNC Wealth Management in Raleigh and a family life, which now also includes two daughters, Katie and Kinsley.

“Courtney was able to go toe-to-toe with guys who are on tour right now, and he certainly had the ability to make it out there, too,” Hackney said.  “But true to who he is as a man, he just decided, ‘I want to start a family.  That’s more important to me.  I want to be a good father.  I want a good, steady job.’

“He got his amateur status back and still plays some, mainly for fun and for business, but he’s raising a beautiful family now.  I’m really proud of him.”

Faircloth’s appreciation of family extends to his memories of his Barton career.  While he cherishes his personal accomplishments as a Bulldog, he values the team’s achievements even more.

In 2003, he joined teammate and fellow 2014 Barton Hall of Fame inductee Ben Bridgers in helping the Bulldogs win their first NCAA regional title ever, earning the program its first trip to the NCAA National Tournament.

A year later, Faircloth led Barton to a school-record five team victories and a trip back to the national tournament, where he recorded his runner-up finish.

“Until I started playing professionally and sat in a hotel room by myself, it didn’t dawn on me what I valued most about Barton,” Faircloth said.  “I realized then that I missed the team, the guys, traveling in the van, going on and playing with the guys – just the whole team aspect of it and the experiences we shared together.

“The fun that we had, the experiences that we went through, the friendships that we developed, those are some special memories.”

That is why Faircloth is particularly happy to be going into the Barton Hall of Fame at the same time as Bridgers.

“I knew there was a possibility that Ben would be selected, and rightfully so,” Faircloth said.  “I’ve known Ben since we were in high school playing junior tournaments together, and of course, he was a year ahead of me at Barton.  When I learned that I had been elected, I was of course elated.  But when I was told that Ben made it too, that just took it to a whole new level.  It’s really cool to go in as teammates.”