David and Maxwell Ford lead UNC men's golf at U.S. Amateur Championship

Brothers, and now teammates, David and Maxwell Ford led a strong UNC men’s golf contingent at the 123rd U.S. Amateur Championship last week. Both players reached the round of 16 at Cherry Hills Country Club just south of Denver, Colo.

All four current Tar Heels in the field made it to the match-play portion of the event at Cherry Hills. Junior Maxwell Ford shot a 6-under-par 66 at tournament co-host Colorado Golf Club in round two of stroke play to earn the No. 4 seed. 

After a difficult opening to his championship, junior David Ford rallied with a 4-under-par round at Colorado Golf Club to make the cut. Graduate student Austin Greaser and fifth-year senior Dylan Menante both made the cut by one stroke. 

David Ford, Menante and Greaser all entered the championship ranked in the top 10 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking. David Ford has won top amateur events such as the Jones Cup Invitational and the Southern Amateur Championship and was named ACC Player of the Year last season. 

Menante returned to the U.S. Amateur for the fifth time after reaching the semifinals last year. Greaser reached the 2021 championship match at Oakmont Country Club to earn a spot in the 2022 U.S. Open. 

No. 53 ranked amateur Maxwell Ford competed in his third U.S. Amateur but his first as a Tar Heel. He joins his triplet — Maxwell and David also have a sister named Abigail — in Chapel Hill this season after transferring from the University of Georgia.

David Ford, Maxwell Ford and Greaser all won their round of 64 matches with ease. David took a commanding lead, winning five of the first six holes, while Maxwell had to come from behind after losing the first two. All three matches were decided before the 16th hole. 

Menante was eliminated in the round of 64 by University of Tennessee standout Caleb Surratt, 6 and 5. The match was between the fifth and seventh-ranked players respectively in theWorld Amateur Golf Ranking.

David Ford once again cruised to victory in the round of 32, defeating former club pro Grant Smith, 5 and 4. Maxwell Ford advanced with a 3 and 2 win over 10th-ranked amateur Nick Gabrelcik. He was one down on the seventh tee before winning four of the next five to take control of the match.

Greaser’s tournament ended in the round of 32 after losing to Connor Gaunt, 3 and 2.

Maxwell Ford and David Ford both saw their tournament end in the round of 16. After winning the first hole, Maxwell struggled in his match against Parker Bell and lost 5 and 4. 

David Ford's round of 16 match was a thriller against sixth-ranked amateur and University of Virginia standout Ben James. Both players led the match on three separate occasions. David Ford got up and down for par on the par-5 17th to take a one-up advantage to the last hole. But a missed fairway with a driving iron led to a bogey five on hole 18, and the match went to extra holes. 

After both players found the fairway on the 19th hole, James stuck his approach shot inside four feet. David could not answer, as he left his second shot well short of the hole. James sunk his birdie putt to win the match and eliminate the last Tar Heel.

All told, the team played 278 holes of golf combined over four days. David Ford will compete next as part of Team USA at the Walker Cup in Scotland, beginning on Sep. 2. He automatically qualified for the team through the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Menante and Greaser, who were named to the team on Sunday, will join him at St. Andrews. 

The UNC men’s golf team’s schedule for the fall is not yet set, but the Tar Heels have confirmed they will compete at the Home of Golf in the inaugural St. Andrews Links Collegiate Oct. 23-25.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect Menante and Greaser being named to the Walker Cup team, which was announced following the original posting of this article. 

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