No. 3 UNC men's golf team wins Williams Cup for third consecutive tournament win

The third-ranked UNC men’s golf team won the Williams Cup on Sunday by 12 strokes. The Tar Heels hosted the event, named after former basketball coach Roy Williams and his wife Wanda, at Eagle Point Golf Club.

What happened?

The Tar Heels took a commanding six-stroke lead after the first round of the tournament on Friday. They shot a team total of one-under-par 287. The Louisville Cardinals were in second after a round of five-over-par and the N.C. State Wolfpack were in third at six-over. 

David Ford and Ryan Burnett led the way for the Tar Heels in the first round by shooting one-under. Ford accumulated five birdies through his first 18 holes, but a double bogey on the third hole and two more bogies kept him from shooting lower. Peter Fountain at even par and Dylan Menante at one-over rounded out the Tar Heels’ scoring in the first round. 

The second round on Saturday was more of the same for the Tar Heels. They extended their lead in the tournament to 14 strokes after an overall high-scoring day for the field. UNC shot an even-par 288, the only school not to be over par on the day. 

Lousiville, who was in second after the first round, fell to a tie for fourth, shooting 15-over-par. UNC Wilmington shot up two spots on the leaderboard into second place, and N.C. State remained in third.

Menante was the low-scorer for the Tar Heels in the second round with a 70. He was one of six players in the field of sixty to shoot under par.  Austin Greaser, who is ranked the second-best collegiate golfer according to the PGA Tour, finally got on the board for the Tar Heels by shooting an even-par 72 after a disappointing 77 in the first round. 

For the first time in the tournament, the Tar Heels did not have the lowest score in the third round. The team combined to be four-over-par on Sunday, which was the second-lowest round behind UNC Wilmington at two-over.  Despite this, UNC’s tournament score of 867 surpassed UNCW by 12 strokes, cruising to another victory in the Williams Cup.

Ford was the only Tar Heel to shoot under par for the Tar Heels in the third round. His combined 2-under-par tournament left him tied for second on the individual leaderboard. 

Who stood out? 

Ford shot the lowest for the Tar Heels throughout the tournament. He was the only UNC golfer to shoot even par or lower in every round and finished with the second-most birdies at 14. Ryan Burnett also finished in the top 5 of the individual leaderboard at one-over.

When was it decided?

The 54-hole tournament was all but over after just 18. A six-stroke lead for UNC's golfers seemed insurmountable for the lower-ranked field. The Tar Heels only extended their lead throughout the next 36 holes. With everyone around them shooting high, UNC consistently remained around even par and sailed to another tournament victory.

Why does it matter?

The Tar Heels' dominant win in the Williams Cup ended their fall season on a strong note. After a discouraging 11th-placed finish at the Fighting Illini Invitational on Sept. 18, UNC finished with three consecutive tournament victories. They won the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational on Oct. 4 and the Stephens Cup on Oct. 12. 

When do they play next?

The men’s golf team will not play again until February when they will participate in the Amer Ari Invitational. The tournament will be hosted by the University of Hawai’i and will be played in Waimea, Hawai'i.

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