After bogeying two holes in a row to put him back at even par, North Carolina golfer Martin Ureta could have self-destructed.
It was a key moment for the heir apparent to the departed Dustin Bray, who had the most tournament wins in the history of the program. The team had struggled without Bray, posting 10th- and 15th-place finishes in its first two tournaments of the year.
But Ureta settled down and turned his game around, finishing 8-under par for the tournament and leading the team to a 6-shot victory against nine teams, including No. 17 Georgia Southern.
He started the turnaround by getting up and down for par and chipping in for birdie on consecutive holes. The birdie was the first of four for Ureta in the final six holes.
"My short game is awesome right now," Ureta said. "I was expecting a really easy bogey on 18, and I somehow made par. And then I missed my shot on 1, and again I was facing bogey, and somehow chipped in. So that gives you momentum. It keeps you going."
Coach John Inman said he was impressed by Ureta's ability to overcome his poor ball-striking.
"The last two days he hit it awful," Inman said. "But he was chipping in. He was doing whatever it took to shoot a good score."
Ureta finished second as an individual in the tournament, one shot behind Georgia Southern's David Palm, but the team's depth carried it to victory. UNC's Jonathan Jackson and Reed Darsie finished tied for third and seventh, respectively.
Although the men had a successful weekend, the women's team struggled, finishing in sixth place at 66-over par. Duke won the women's tournament with a score of 1-over.