UNC men’s golf standout–and Chapel Hill native–Ben Griffin tied a school record on Saturday by firing a 63 on the first day of the Tar Heel Intercollegiate at the nearby Finley Golf Course.

The senior tallied seven birdies, an eagle and ten pars in a round that was among the best the course has ever seen. His 63 is just the fourth in UNC history and is the first ever shot during a tournament at Finley.

“Ben was composed all day and did an excellent job of staying in the present, especially in the afternoon round when he shot 63,” head coach Andrew DiBitetto said. “Tying any Carolina record is a tremendous accomplishment and this is something he should be very proud of.”

Griffin’s effort also helped UNC put together one of their best performances as a team, as they shot 18-under-par over the 36 holes–good enough to match the second-best round in program history.

“We obviously know the golf course very well so today was a matter of our guys playing loose and free,” DiBitetto said.

The Tar Heels currently hold a six-stroke lead over second place Jacksonville entering Sunday’s final round.

Griffin, meanwhile, shot a 5-under-par 67 in the morning round on Saturday and heads into Sunday atop the individual leaderboard at 14-under.

 

 

 

Photo via UNC Athletics