The final shot of Josh Gibson's 4-under-par 67 ended up as critical as any during his impressive round for the Hope College men's golf team.

The 11th-ranked Flying Dutchmen won the opening round of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association NCAA Division III Championship qualifier Saturday at Wuskowhan Players Club by one stroke after Gibson chipped in from 12 yards out for a birdie on the 615-yard par-5 18th.

Gibson, who was in the final grouping, clinched a team score of 284 for the Flying Dutchmen to Calvin's 285. Trine (298) came in third, while Adrian (307) was fourth.

Play shifts to Watermark Golf Course in Grand Rapids next weekend for the final two rounds. The lowest cumulative score receives the MIAA's automatic berth to the national championship.

Gibson, pictured, birdied his first two holes: the 395-yard par 4 No. 1 and the 405-yard par 4 No. 2. He added a birdie on the 530-yard par 5 No. 7 and finished 2-under on the front.

After a double bogey on the 580-yard par-5 10th, Gibson birdied three more holes on the back-nine. He birdied the 420-yard par 4 12th, the 150-yard par 3 15th and added his dramatic chip-in on the 18th.

It was Gibson's second consecutive round under par at Wuskowhan Players Club in an NCAA qualifying tournament. He equaled the school record with a 65 last year.

The Flying Dutchmen also received 72s from senior Kade Hoeksema of Byron Center, Michigan (South Christian HS) and sophomore Daniel Settecerri of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan (Bloomfield Hills).

Junior Andrew Goble of Brighton, Michigan (Brighton) chipped in a 73 for Hope.

Junior Ben Kramer of Spring Lake, Michigan (Spring Lake) had a 78.