The UNC men’s golf team has started the fall season on fire.
After winning at Olympia Fields in their first start, the Tar Heels nearly stormed back to win the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational last week, finishing second by one shot.
Top-ranked UNC carried that momentum to Wilmington where it dominated the field at the Williams Cup on Monday and Tuesday, winning the tournament for the third straight year at Eagle Point Golf Club. At 11-under, the Tar Heels were the only team under par for the tournament, 18 strokes better than No. 2 Auburn. Junior David Ford finished 4-under-par and won a playoff to take medalist honors.
In eight team rounds so far this season, North Carolina is 36-under-par.
UNC’s lineup at Eagle Point included David Ford, junior Maxwell Ford, graduate Austin Greaser, fifth-year Dylan Menante and graduate Kenan Poole.
The Tar Heels were tested by a strong field and a stern championship setup. In addition to Auburn, the field included No. 6 Arizona State and defending national champion Florida. Eagle Point played tough, as the scoring average across the three rounds was over 75.
David Ford started the tournament on a tear. He birdied three of the first four and was 7-under after 12 holes en route to an opening-round 6-under 66. Greaser made five birdies and posted 68 in round one. Maxwell Ford and Dylan Menante recorded 2-under rounds and UNC led by eight at 14-under after Monday morning.
David Ford backed up his 66 with a 2-under 70 in a topsy-turvy round that included four birdies, two bogeys, a double bogey and eagle hole-out on the par-4 13th. Menante posted another under-par round, a 71, while Maxwell Ford found himself 3-over for the round on the sixth tee before making three birdies against no bogeys the rest of the way to post 72. The Tar Heels were 2-under as a team in round two and 15 shots clear after 36 holes.
Competing as an individual entry, senior Peter Fountain made a hole-in-one on his first hole in round three, the par-3 10th. It was Fountain’s first career ace, and he went on to shoot 69 and finish tied for 33rd.
