PINEHURST, N.C. - Senior Symon Balbin carded a final round two-under-par (68) to enter the top-ten golfers and lead the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's golf team to a ten-stroke victory Tuesday morning and afternoon at the Wake Forest Invitational at historic Pinehurst No. 2.
 
UNCG's six-over-par (286) final round team scorecard tied for the round's low score as the Spartans claimed a ten-stroke victory over second place No. 29 Northwestern and 12-stroke win over third place No. 15 Virginia. UNCG was 13 strokes ahead of host No. 33 Wake Forest and Iowa, each in a tie for fourth place. The victory is the Spartans' second team win of the season.
 
Playing in his hometown, Balbin carded one birdie on a steady front nine effort. The senior's birdie on the par four, 439-yard second hole led Balbin to an even-par (35) front nine. Balbin tamed the difficult back nine with back-to-back birdies beginning on the par five, 580-yard tenth hole. The senior repeated the effort on the par four, 455-yard 11th. Balbin closed with his third birdie on the back side on the par three, 205-yard 17th hole to finish the back nine two-under-par (33). In 20th place through 36 holes, Balbin leaped 13 spots into sole possession of seventh place thanks to producing one of only three under-par scorecards in the final round. Balbin finished his 54-hole tournament one-over-par (211).
 
Randall Hudson carded the Spartans' second-best effort on the day with a two-over-par (72). The junior's lone birdie came on the par four, 387-yard third hole. Hudson finished his round with a par on 14 of the last 15 holes to place in a tie for 39th at 11-over-par (221).
 
Connor Brown, Tommy Lamb, and Nick Lyerly each recorded three-over-par (73) final round scorecards with both Brown and Lyerly finishing the tournament three-over-par (213), good for a tie for ninth place. Lamb finished one shot behind the two in a tie for 14th place at four-over-par (214). Brown's two birdies came on the first and fifth holes while Lamb's lone birdie also came at the fifth hole, one of three Spartans to record a birdie at the fifth today. Lyerly joined with a birdie on the fifth hole as well as the third and ninth holes as the graduate student was the only Spartan golfer to record an under-par front nine at one-under-par (34).
 
INSIDE THE SCORECARD

• UNCG was the only team to post an under-par effort on par three holes (two-under-par)
• The Spartans eight-under-par effort on par five holes was the second-best in the field.
• Tied for third in par four scoring, the Spartans posted a 32-over-par team score.
• UNCG's 177 pars led the field.
• The Spartans' 38 birdies stood as the third-most in the tournament.
• Brown's three-under-par score on par three holes stood tie for the tournament's best effort.
• Lamb and Lyerly's one-under-par score on par three's tied for fourth.
• Balbin and Brown tied for fourth in par five scoring at three-under-par for the tournament.
• Brown's 38 pars tied for the third-most in the field.
• Balbin's ten birdies tied for the third-most. He was only one of nine golfers to reach double digit birdies over 54 holes.

UP NEXT
The Spartans turn their focus to The Johnnie-O at Sea Island for the 54-hole tournament hosted by Rutgers at Sea Island's Seaside Course in Sea Island, Ga. taking place from March 13-15.