In keeping with a listless spring season to date, the North Carolina men's golf team scuffled Tuesday to a last-place finish at The Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate. Beset by rain delays, a demanding course, inconsistent play and even illness, the Tar Heels took residence in the cellar of the 15-team event, 52 shots behind champion Auburn.
Here's what you need to know about UNC's lost weekend near Charleston:
LAYING UP — OR BEHIND: For the third time in four spring season tournaments, UNC gazed up at the top of the leaderboard like a pedestrian eyeing a skyscraper. Save a fourth-place finish March 14 and 15 at the Seminole Intercollegiate, the Tar Heels have finished third-to-last, second-to-last and last in their other three spring events. UNC punctuated the end to its fall season in late October with a win at the Bridgestone Golf Collegiate and nabbed three top-five finishes in its other four fall tournaments.
ILLNESS SIDELINES FRESHMAN: After carding an even-par 72 in Sunday's opening round, freshman standout Henry Do seemed poised to pace the Tar Heels. But Do (pronounced "Doe") withdrew from Monday's second round with an undisclosed illness, only to return to the course Tuesday to author a one-over-par 72. The second-round withdrawal precluded Do, who owns UNC's third-best scoring average, from contributing to his team's final tally.
LOST, THEN FOUND: Andy Sajevic, by most objective measures, shouldn't have earned so much as consideration for lowest Tar Heel of the weekend. The senior floundered with an opening-round 78, then recorded three double bogeys and a triple bogey en route to a second-round 82. But Sajevic regained his form Tuesday and rolled in five birdies to finish with a three-under par 69, good for UNC's lowest individual round of the tournament. Junior Brandon Dalinka, the team's second-leading scorer, secured the team's best individual finish of the weekend, a tie for 49th. Bailey Patrick, UNC's scoring-average leader, finished tied for 58th. Sajevic's final round earned him a tie for 62nd.
WHAT'S NEXT?: UNC gets an 11-day respite before returning to action April 5 in Kannapolis, N.C., at the Irish Creek Collegiate, the Tar Heels' final team event before the ACC Championships begin April 25 in New London, N.C.
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