Ben Griffin is the first repeat Tar Heel golf All-American in 10 years.

Chapel Hill’s Griffin shot an even-par 72 for the third straight day to finish in a tie for 11th place at the 2017 NCAA Men’s Golf Championships Monday in Sugar Grove, Illinois.

Griffin missed Tuesday’s stroke play final by the top eight qualifiers through Monday but still earned the coveted All-American honors for the second straight year, Carolina’s first men’s golfer since Kevin O’Connell in 2008. He tied Virginia’s Jimmy Stanger as the low finisher at the NCAA Championship among ACC players. Griffin’s 11th place was the best by a Tar Heel at the NCAAs since Max Harris was sixth and Don Hill was 10th in 1999.

The junior bogeyed the first hole Monday, birdied the second, then made par the next nine holes. He birdied No. 12 to go to 1-under on the day, before dropping shots at 16 and 17. He then birdied the 525-yard, par-5 18th hole for the fourth time in as many days to finish at even par for the round.

Griffin was the two-time North Carolina High School champion while competing for coach Bobby Neville at East Chapel Hill, winning the state as a freshman and junior. He learned the game at the Chapel Hill Country Club, where the son of Cowan and Erika Griffin grew to his current height of 6-foot-1.

UNC freshman Austin Hitt shot 3-under-par Sunday, but the Tar Heels finished 18th and did not advance to Monday’s fourth round of stroke play. Juniors Jose Montaño and William Register shot 77s on Sunday to finish at 6-over-222 and 10-over-226, respectively, and senior Zach Martin shot a 79 to close at 23 over.

Griffin was one of nine individuals on teams outside the top 15 who advanced to Monday’s fourth round. He opened the tourney on Friday with a 2-under-par 70 then shot 72-72-72 over the final three days to finish at 2-under-286, nine shots behind medalist Braden Thornberry of Ole Miss.

Hitt, who also shot 3-under-par in the third round of the NCAA Stanford Regional, had 4 birdies and eagled the 18th hole to shoot 69. Carolina finished 54 holes at 11-over-par 875, four shots out of 15th place.

The top 15 teams advanced to Monday’s final round of stroke play, and the top eight teams after 72 holes advanced to match play beginning today to decide the national champion.

 

(Photo by UNC)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Related Stories
‹
31st Annual Carolina Kids Classic Raises Nearly $80,000 For Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill
Earlier this month, Carolina Kids Classic held its annual golf tournament at Finley Golf Course to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill and its programs. With the goal of raising money and awareness for the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill, this year’s event marked the thirty-first year of the charity golf tournament […]
Stroman On Sports: A New "Day"
We look ahead to a new season of UNC athletics - and a new era in golf.
UNC Defensive Coordinator Steve Belichick on Medical Leave, Father Bill Says
UNC defensive coordinator Steve Belichick is away from the program on medical leave, head coach Bill Belichick said Thursday at the Kenan Football Center. Steve Belichick had been scheduled to address the media last Thursday following the Tar Heels’ first practice of fall camp, but did not appear at the podium. Bill Belichick said the […]
The Morning News: Legion Road, ArtsOrange, Jason Johnson, Bill Belichick
In today's news: Chapel Hill provides an update on the future of its 36-acre property on Legion Road, with a pond slated for removal.
Chansky's Notebook: The One Who Got Away
Mack Brown was a very good football coach. His father was a high school coach in Tennessee, and his older brother Watson preceded him into mid-major positions. The peripatetic Brown held nine assistant jobs and one as a head coach in 15 years before he was 35. That included being the athletic director at Tulane […]
Shortstop Tyler Jackson, Son of Assistant Coach Scott Jackson, Commits to UNC Baseball
Shortstop prospect Tyler Jackson, the son of UNC assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Scott Jackson, committed to the Diamond Heels Tuesday. A rising junior in high school, Jackson is the first member of the recruiting class of 2028 to commit to UNC. In a nice coincidence for his future head coach, Jackson’s commitment also came […]
Taking Advantage of Court Ruling, UNC Kicker Rece Verhoff Returns to Program
Kicker Rece Verhoff is returning to the UNC football program and plans to play in the 2026 season, taking advantage of a recent court ruling from U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney which granted a fifth year of eligibility to athletes who graduated high school in 2022. Welcome back Rece Verhoff pic.twitter.com/Fwk0Z4PeNB — Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) […]
UNC Men's Golf Coach Andrew DiBitetto Agrees to 3-Year Contract Extension
UNC and men’s golf head coach Andrew DiBitetto have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension which will keep DiBitetto in Chapel Hill through 2029, the school announced Wednesday. Great Day to be a Tar Heel. Coming off fifth NCAA top-10 finish in the last six years, Carolina extends Andrew through 2029. https://t.co/3kzGnwZRNX #GoHeels […]
Jason DeCaro, Reese Brantmeier, Ryleigh Heck Named 2026 Patterson Medal Winners
UNC announced the 2026 class of Patterson Medal winners Tuesday morning. The Patterson Medal, first awarded in 1924, is the school’s most prestigious honor for athletic excellence and career achievement. To receive the award, Tar Heel athletes must have competed in at least three seasons for UNC and have exhausted their collegiate eligibility. The 2026 […]
UNC Women's Soccer Picked 5th in ACC; Bella Devey Named Preseason All-ACC
UNC has been picked to finish fifth in the ACC’s preseason women’s soccer poll, which was released Monday. The Tar Heels were one of five teams to receive at least one first-place vote. Notre Dame sits in first place in the poll with seven of 17 first-place votes, while No. 2 Stanford, No. 3 Duke […]
›