The tournament was slipping away from the UNC men’s golf team. After leading by three entering the final round of the Amer Ari Invitational on Saturday, the Tar Heels had fallen eight behind Arizona State.
But then Dylan Menante lost consciousness. The fifth-year made six consecutive birdies on the back nine en route to a seven-under 29. Those nine holes were the catalyst for a UNC comeback, and the second-ranked Tar Heels claimed team title number four on the season at the Mauna Lani North Course in Waimea, Hawai'i. UNC’s 796 team total for the three rounds — 68-under-par and five strokes better than the Sun Devils — is a new 54-hole program record. Junior David Ford paced the Tar Heels on the individual leaderboard, finishing tied for fourth at 17-under-par. Menante finished seventh at 16-under and senior Peter Fountain finished tied for eighth at 15-under.
North Carolina got off to a fast start in the first round, recording a 26-under 262 — a new single-round UNC record. Ford led the way with an eight-under 64, which included six birdies, an eagle and no bogeys. Menante and junior Maxwell Ford both fired rounds of 65 and Fountain shot 68. The Tar Heels were three ahead of Arizona State after 18 holes.
Fountain and graduate student Austin Greaser posted rounds of 66 in round two. Greaser made two eagles over a three-hole stretch, one of which was a two at the par-four 13th. David and Maxwell Ford both shot 68, and the Tar Heels posted a round of 268 to maintain their three-stroke advantage.
That advantage had completely evaporated, however, early on the front nine in the final round. But the Tar Heels rallied on the back nine. They pulled even at 60-under and then pulled away. UNC was 16-under-par on the inward side as a team, spearheaded by Menante. He shot a round of seven-under 65 with nine pars on the front nine and seven birdies on the back. David Ford, Fountain and Greaser each fired rounds of 67, and the Tar Heels posted 266 to take the title.
