DORADO, PUERTO RICO - The UNC Greensboro's (UNCG) men's golf team fired a final round five-under-par (277) as the Spartans claimed third at UNCG's Dorado Beach Collegiate at the TPC Dorado Beach Sugarcane Course.
With the third-place finish, the Spartans also topped two top-15 teams in their tournament. UNCG finished 31-under-par as a team, while No. 12 Virginia placed fifth shooting 22-under-par and No. 2 Auburn who placed sixth with a 17-under-par finish. According to UNCG history records, this is the first win for the team over a No. 2 team in the Division I era.
Hudson birdied four times on the front nine with an unblemished four-under-par (32) scorecard. The junior opened his round with a birdie on the par four, 400-yard second hole. Hudson produced three birdies in four holes at the par four, 415-yard fifth hole. After birdie on the par five, 525-yard sixth hole, Hudson completed the stretch with one final birdie on the par three, 215-yard eighth. The junior carded two back nine birdies on his way to the second-lowest final round score in the field. Hudson finished nine-under-par (207), good for a tie for eleventh place, jumping 14 spots on the leaderboard in final round action.
Symon Balbin finished in the top ten with a seventh-place finish after a 54-hole total of 11-under-par (205). The senior posted a final round even-par (72). Balbin recovered from a shaky start on the front nine to post four-straight birdies beginning at the par four, 415-yard fifth hole through the eighth. The senior recorded his lone back nine birdie on the par five, 502-yard 14th hole. Balbin was one stroke off of a top-five finish after carding a six-under-par (66) second round score yesterday morning.
Nick Lyerly carded a four-under-par (68) final round effort to finish in a tie for 13th with a 54-hole total of eight-under-par (208). The graduate student posted a three-under-par (33) front nine unblemished scorecard with birdies on the fifth and seventh holes. Lyerly capped the front nine with a birdie on the par five, 510-yard ninth hole. That sparked a stretch of three birdies in four holes with a birdie on the par four, 380-yard tenth hole and the par five, 542-yard 12th.
Tommy Lamb carded a final round two-under-par (70) with two birdies on the front nine and an eagle on the ninth hole to cap a three-under-par front side score. Competing as an individual,
Connor Brown also posted a two-under-par final round score with six total birdies. Brown carded a four-under-par (32) unblemished front nine scorecard with birdies on both par five holes.
The Spartans placed third with a 54-hole total of 31-under-par (833) after an eleven-under-par (277) final round effort. UNCG finished five shots behind Duke in second place and 13 shots behind champion Cincinnati. The 54-hole score is the Spartans' lowest 54-hole total of the season.
INSIDE THE SCORECARD
- The Spartans' 35-under-par score on par five holes finished fourth-best in the field.
- UNCG's 65 birdies were the fourth-most in the tournament.
- With four eagles, UNCG earned a tie for the second-most in the field.
- Hudson's two-under-par score on par threes tied for the best individual effort.
- Balbin and Lyerly's three-under-par on par four holes tied for fifth-best in the field.
- Balbin also led the field with 19 birdies.
- Five different Spartans tallied an eagle during the 54-hole tournament.
UP NEXT
The Spartans return to action next Monday through Tuesday, March 6-7, for the Wake Forest Invitational at the historic Pinehurst No. 2 course.
