Led by Ryan Burnett's record-breaking 63, the North Carolina men's golf team tied for second in the 2019 NCAA Stanford Regional on Wednesday, and advanced to the NCAA Championship in Fayetteville, Ark.
What happened?
On the first day of the three-day event, the Tar Heels shot an even-par 280. First-year Dougie Ergood and senior Joshua Martin posted a 4-under-par 66 and a 2-under-par 68, respectively, to put North Carolina in fourth place entering Tuesday.
The Tar Heels then improved on their first-day score by posting a 5-under-par 275, vaulting them into a second-place tie thanks to the efforts of junior Austin Hitt, who shot a 68, and Burnett, who shot a 67 highlighted by an eagle and seven birdies.
In the third round, Burnett played his best when it mattered most. On the last day of the event, he posted a 63, the lowest round ever by a Tar Heel in an NCAA regional, to help his team remain in a tie for second place and advance to the NCAA Championship for the third straight season. On Wednesday, North Carolina shot a 6-under-par 274, tied for the second-best score in the regional's final round.
The Stanford Cardinals, playing on their home course, won the event with a blistering 23-under-par, while the Tar Heels' 11-under-par 829 was tied for second with Arizona State.
Who stood out?
Burnett, a first-year, starred for the Tar Heels, posting a 7-under-par over three days which was good enough to tie for the second-best individual score. Burnett improved his score in every round, following up a 73 on Monday with a 67 on Tuesday and a record-breaking 63 on Wednesday.
He edged out Max Harris' 64 in 1998 for the best round by a Tar Heel in a regional. Burnett's 63 was also the lowest round by any player in the regional, and his lowest round of the season.