UNC men's golf finishes first, breaks records in Tar Heel Intercollegiate Final

The North Carolina golf team finished first on their home course on Sunday in the Tar Heel Intercollegiate Final. 

Senior Ben Griffin led the pack, finishing with a school-record 19 strokes under par at the end of the tournament.

What happened?

The Tar Heels finished the first day with two great rounds — the second tying the second-best round in school history for the team. Griffin led the UNC team, tying the UNC single-round record for best round with a 63.

The UNC squad shot 275 in the first round and 270 in the second round, finishing the first day 6 shots ahead of second-place Jacksonville University.

The Tar Heels headed into the second day of play with a similar mindset as the first, trying not to be deterred by the rain on Saturday night.

“We’re all very comfortable with this golf course,” said Griffin, a two-time honorable mention All-American. “We all knew what we needed to do and we just went after it and did our best and came home victorious.”

In the final round of play, the Tar Heels remained on top with another round of 270, shooting 18 shots under par on the day. UNC finished with 815 total points, finishing 23 points below second-place Jacksonville, with Griffin with a 19 under par 197 on the tournament.

“Overall, it was pretty fantastic.”, head coach Andrew DiBitetto said. “It was a complete team effort.”

Who stood out?

Ben Griffin definitely led the Tar Heels this weekend. The final result on Sunday marked his third college tournament win. 

However, senior Jose Montaño also stood out during the second day of play, tying the third-place school record for best round on Sunday with a 64, finishing in second place.

Griffin mentioned how Montaño’s play on Sunday really pushed him to try to play his best round. Coach DiBetto was impressed with both players after the two days of play, as well as the rest of the team.

“I don’t think we had any starter shoot over par,” said DiBetto. “For Jose to do what he did today and for Ben to do what he did all week was absolutely incredible.”

When was it decided?

The Tar Heels established their dominance at home after the first day of play, where they said they were comfortable competing at UNC Finely Golf Course in Chapel Hill. The tournament wasn’t truly decided until the second day of play, after North Carolina shot 17 strokes below Jacksonville.

Why does it matter?

This win will give the UNC team confidence after a tough second-place finish in their last tournament. Also, a home win will build some real momentum for the Tar Heels as they head into the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational in the coming weeks.

This weekend marks the first and only tournament in Chapel Hill on North Carolina's schedule.

When do they play next?

The Tar Heels will be back in action for the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational in Windermere, Fla., on Oct. 22-24.

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