GREENSBORO, N.C. – Junior
Randall Hudson led the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's golf team with a 4&3 victory in his individual match play contest as the Spartans dropped a Sunday afternoon dual match to Duke, 5-3. Eight players from each side faced each other in individual match play at Greensboro Country Club's Farm Course.
Hudson's 4&3 win over Duke's Ian Siebers came thanks to Hudson's surge on the final eight holes of the match. The junior was all square with Siebers through seven holes when Hudson won the par three, 224-yard eighth hole with a par to go one hole up. After the turn, Hudson won four of the next five holes including three-straight beginning at the 12th hole and concluding on the 14th. The junior only conceded one hole the entire match and clinched the 4&3 win over Siebers with a halved hole on the 15th.
B.J. Boyce also won his match four holes up by posting a 4&2 win over the Blue Devils' John Peters. The freshman won two of the first three holes to hold a two-hole lead early. Peters won the next two holes and halved the sixth with Boyce to even the match. Boyce capitalized on Peters' bogey and earned par on the par five, 529-yard seventh hole to reclaim the lead. On the par five, 598-yard tenth hole, Boyce carded birdie to extend his lead, two up. After conceding the 11th hole, Boyce won the par four, 460-yard 12th hole and cashed in with another par five birdie on the 15th to go three holes up. Boyce birdied the par four, 451-yard 16th hole to win the hole and seal the victory.
Symon Balbin overcame a front nine deficit to post a 2&1 win over Duke's William Love. Both golfers traded a pair of holes through the first four, but Love regained the lead at the fifth hole and held the advantage through six. Balbin birdied the seventh hole and then closed the front nine with a birdie and a win on the par four, 443-yard ninth. Balbin held the advantage through the 13th hole and then scored a two-stroke victory on the par three, 181-yard 14th hole. The senior halved the remaining holes and ended the match on the 17th hole for the Spartans' third win.
The Blue Devils carded wins in two of the final three remaining groups on the course to earn a 5-3 team victory.
UNCG turns its attention to the Southern Conference Men's Golf Championship which takes place April 23-25 at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Ga.
