Golf team wins big in Maryland

The North Carolina men’s golf team proved last weekend that they have the art of winning down to a tee when the Tar Heels won their season opener, the Maryland Intercollegiate.

The win Sunday in Cambridge, Md., marked a sizable improvement from last year’s fourth place finish at the two-day tournament.

The Tar Heels are coached by John Inman, who is entering his 12th year of coaching at UNC. Inman began coaching at his alma mater after leaving a 12-year stint on the PGA tour.

UNC finished with a three-round total of 849, beating second place Virginia Commonwealth by one stroke and third-place finisher N.C. State by nine.

Tar Heel junior Henry Zaytoun finished on top, tying Virginia’s Ben Kohles for first place. In addition to Zaytoun, the Tar Heels had three other top finishers, including freshman Michael McGowan, Kevin O’Connell and Jack Fields.

“We had a bad season last year. We underachieved as a team,” said Zaytoun, whose first collegiate win was the Maryland Intercollegiate. “It was awesome to win individually, but it was even better to win for the team.”

The addition of two freshmen on the 10-man squad is likely to help the Tar Heels this season. McGowan, a freshman from Southern Pines, tied for a fifth-place finish in last weekend’s event.

“From a team perspective, we have proved we can win tournaments. It’s more mental than anything else. We have the talent; now we have the mental edge,” Zaytoun said.

UNC will return to the greens on Oct. 3 when the Tar Heels will compete in the Gary Koch invitational in Tampa, Fla.


Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.