Tar Heel men's golf fails to make NCAA Championships with poor final round

The North Carolina men’s golf team entered NCAA Regional play at their home course this weekend, where they looked to keep their impressive season alive by finishing fifth or better. 

But the Tar Heels underwhelmed, finishing in eighth place, while the UNC-Charlotte 49ers won the tournament. 

“We were very capable,” freshman Ben Griffin said. “We just fell short.” 

The Tar Heel team was left gutted and disappointed after one of their worst performances of the year at a course they knew like the back of their hands.

Coach Andrew Sapp and his team came into the tournament with the goal not only to advance to the national championship but to also win the regional.  

“We just faded in the last weekend,” Sapp said. “I still think we have a team that could compete for the national championship.”

The unexpected poor play for UNC was in part related to the big numbers its players carded. 

“We had thirteen doubles and two triples; it's hard to catch up from that,” Sapp said. “We put ourselves in positions we had never seen before.”

William Register led the Tar Heels for the tournament, finishing tied for 13th behind a first round 66. 

His next two rounds of 76 and 72 were disappointing to him, considering his hot start. 

“I just couldn’t get anything going the last two days,” Register said. “I felt OK. I just didn’t give myself enough birdie looks.”

Senior Brandon Dalinka finished his career at UNC and hasn’t let the feeling that it's over sink in yet. 

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything, even though it didn’t end the way we wanted it to,” Dalinka said. “It hasn’t hit me yet.”

With a very young team, Sapp believes this experience will make them stronger and motivate them to finish what they started.

“The pain they’re feeling right now is a motivator to get back and work hard,” Sapp said. “Then come back next season ready to win. “