UNC men's golf finishes fourth overall in first tournament of season

The North Carolina men's golf team started the 2016-17 season strong over the weekend at the Rod Myers Invitational in Durham.

The Tar Heels placed fourth out of 14 teams and had three players finish in the individual top 10. 

What happened?

North Carolina got off to a fast start and never looked back.

After the first round of play, the Tar Heels were tied for third place with a score of 287. Sophomore Joshua Martin and Junior Ben Griffin anchored the team on the day as they both shot 1-under-par. 

The second round of play brought more of the same for UNC.

Despite having only two golfers shoot under par, the Tar Heels recorded the same score of 287. This was thanks to first-year Austin Hitt’s 3-under-par performance.

Martin turned in another 1-under-par outing, as UNC secured the fourth place spot heading into the third round.

However, North Carolina saved its best for last.

In the tournament’s final round the Tar Heels shot 284, good for third best on the day.

Martin recorded an eagle to go along three birdies to shoot a 2-under-par 70. Junior William Register also shot a 70 as he added in four birdies.

For the tournament, UNC finished 4-under-par with a score of 858.

Who stood out?

The Tar Heels had three players place in the top 10.

Martin collected North Carolina’s best finish. He narrowly missed out on the top-5, shooting 212 to place sixth at 4-under-par.

Register and Hitt both finished 1-under-par and tied for tenth place.

Hitt recovered from a 3-over-par first round to make the top 10.

The first-year matched the tournament’s best performance by a Tar Heel during the second round when he shot a 3-under-par 69. In a showcase of accuracy and precision, he recorded five birdies while notching only two bogies.

When was it decided?

After two straight rounds shooting 287, it was clear that North Carolina was in contention for a top-5 finish. UNC clinched that finish with its 4-under-par third round.

Why does it matter?

Though the results of this tournament will have little direct effect on the rest of the season, it was important for the Tar Heels to come out and put together a cohesive performance so that they can set the tone for the rest of the year.

There are still some things for North Carolina to clean up in its game, but this was a step in the right direction, especially compared to the inconsistency of last season. The fact that all three of UNC’s team scores were within 3 strokes of each other is a testament to that consistency.

Additionally, playing against three ACC opponents so early in the season provides the Tar Heels with a preview of the competition they will be facing at the ACC Championship.

When do they play next?

North Carolina will travel to Olympia Fields, Illinois next weekend to participate in the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational.

@The_Belshe

sports@dailytarheel.com