UNC men's golf wins Stephen's Cup behind excellent play from David Ford

The UNC-Chapel Hill men’s golf team cruised to the top spot in the second annual Jackson T. Stephen’s Cup Wednesday evening. 

What happened? 

After finding first place a week earlier in the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational, the Tar Heels carried that form to Seminole Golf Club. Round one ended with all five of the competing Tar Heels in the top 20, led by fifth-year senior Ryan Burnett. Burnett capped off a near-flawless front nine, with four birdies on the back nine, going five-under par. 

Round two, however, saw some Tar Heels slide down the leaderboard. Burnett, who finished second in round one, was set to finish at eight under par and secure second, carded a double bogey on the 18th hole that pushed him down to number four. Junior Peter Fountain went even on during round two causing him to fall to seventh, but it was the ascension of senior Austin Greaser and sophomore David Ford that kept the Tar Heels comfortably in front. 

Greaser went four under on day two and climbed 13 spots to finish tied for seventh. Ford was the star of the show, finding the cup for eight consecutive birdies to end round two with a 10 under 62, propelling him to the top spot. 

Tuesday was a comprehensive day for the Tar Heels. All five golfers finished in the top ten with senior Dylan Menante jumping four spots going five under overall, as North Carolina finished atop the leaderboard with an overall 43 under. 

The first two days of play set up match play on Wednesday. After finishing with an overall first, North Carolina went head-to-head with Florida State. The Heels would beat the Seminoles three to two after Menante, Greaser, and Burnett all won their matchups. North Carolina held on to claim their second trophy in consecutive weeks, winning the Jackson T. Stephens Cup. 

Who stood out? 

With a near course record, the answer is unequivocally David Ford. He showed off his incredible consistency throughout the tournament, only carding three bogeys and one double bogey. Ford finished round one with a 68 to give the Tar Heels a seven-stroke lead and finished his third round with a 70 to secure a top Tar Heel finish, but all eyes were on his second round. 

Not only did Ford leapfrog his way to first place, but he also had a blemish-free card during his second round. He caught fire with the putter in hand, stringing together eight consecutive birdies to finish at 62, just two strokes shy of Seminole head professional Claude Harmon’s course record. This is Ford’s fourth sub-65 round across the 16 tournaments he has played, the most by any Tar Heel ever. 

Ford was crowned the champion, finishing the tournament at 16 under par. 

When was it decided? 

The Tar Heels’ strong play across the first two days of the tournament granted them a spot in Wednesday’s match play. With an overall finish of first in stroke play, the Tar Heels were pinned up against the hometown Seminoles Wednesday.  

Menante had the first pairing of the afternoon and was able to come away with the win in a playoff hole. After Ford fell to the Seminoles’ Luke Clanton, it was crucial for Greaser to win his matchup. Through 14 holes, the match was tied, but Greaser held his nerve winning two of the last four holes to secure his match, putting the Tar Heels one win away. 

Fountain was outdueled by the Seminoles’ Cole Anderson, evening the overall match. It was up to the fifth-year senior Burnett to clinch the cup. After being tied through four holes, Burnett caught fire and did not lose another hole, giving UNC the win. 

Why does it matter? 

The Tar Heels won their first team title of the season last week in the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational. Winning a second tournament is such a quick turnaround shows promise for the team. This is coming off UNC’s best season since the 90s finishing tied fifth in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels are a team filled with veteran leadership and exciting, explosive young players, and this combination could lead UNC to another historic season. 

When do they play next? 

After strong showings in back-to-back weeks, North Carolina will head to Wilmington, NC to compete in The Williams Cup Presented by Stitch Golf from Oct. 21-23.

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