Rinse and repeat ... nearly.
Two weeks after the No. 1 North Carolina men’s golf team posted a tournament-record 11-under-par round to come from behind and win the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational, it almost did it again.
This time, however, the Tar Heels comeback bid came up one shot short at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational at Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, this past Monday and Tuesday. Trailing leader Oklahoma by 13 strokes entering the final round, UNC posted the best team round Tuesday, a 10-under 270, to finish second behind Vanderbilt after the Sooners faltered. Junior David Ford led the Tar Heels at 5-under-par and finished tied for fifth on the individual leaderboard.
UNC’s lineup for the two-day, 54-hole event included the same five that won at Olympia Fields: David Ford, Junior Maxwell Ford, graduate Austin Greaser, fifth-year Dylan Menante and graduate Kenan Poole. All five Tar Heels finished in the top 30 individually.
David Ford began his tournament with seven straight pars before recording birdies on four of the next five holes en route to a 4-under 66. Both Poole and Maxwell Ford got off to difficult starts in round one but battled back to record rounds of 69 and 70 respectively. UNC was 4-under as a team after 18 holes, five back of Vanderbilt.
David Ford needed a par on 18 to follow up his 66 with the same score in round two. He made a double bogey, however, and posted 2-under 68. Maxwell Ford made five birdies on the outward nine Monday afternoon but came home in 39 shots, posting another even-par round. Menante recorded a round of 69 and the Tar Heels were 1-under as a team in round two.
Following two over-par rounds, Greaser led the charge on Tuesday. He went out with a bogey-free 31 and posted a 5-under 65. Poole and Maxwell Ford made 11 birdies combined in round three and both shot 67. For Poole, that number tied his career-best round.
David Ford struggled on the back nine in round three. He made three bogeys over a five-hole stretch and went on to post a round of 71.
The Tar Heels were tied for the lead before medalist Cole Sherwood of Vanderbilt birdied the home hole to get the Commodores across the line and push UNC down to second place.
