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.
Chansky's Notebook: Dead Man Walking?
With Hubert Davis dismissed, no seat will be hotter in Chapel Hill than UNC head football coach Bill Belichick’s this fall.
UNC Baseball Walks Off Campbell in 14-Inning Marathon
Rom Kellis singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 14th inning to help the Diamond Heels win a marathon battle against Campbell at Boshamer Stadium Tuesday. The game lasted nearly five hours and ended after midnight Wednesday morning. Heels win the two-month marathon!! No foolin!#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/NvMuclMD4Q — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) […]
UNC Club Brings Solar Energy to TABLE, Saving the Pantry Money and Expanding Food Access
While not visible to those passing by, something new decorates the rooftop of TABLE’s downtown Carrboro facility.
UNC Baseball Head Coach Scott Forbes Signs Contract Extension Through 2031
UNC baseball head coach Scott Forbes has agreed to a new contract extension which will keep him in Chapel Hill through the 2031 season. Forbes in currently in his sixth year as head coach. 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 👏 Coach Forbes put pen to paper on a new extension that will keep […]
Chansky's Notebook: Déjà Blue
For the second straight year, a Duke-UNC game served as an omen for the end of the Blue Devils’ season in the NCAA Tournament.
A Brief History of UNC Men's Basketball Head Coaching Searches
As we near the one-week mark of the UNC men’s basketball head coaching vacancy, rumors continue to swirl about the Tar Heels’ potential targets. If leading candidates are any indication, the next head coach will not come from the “Carolina Family,” breaking a streak that began with Dean Smith. Since Smith, each UNC head coach […]
Chansky's Notebook: Tricky Timetable
Two of the prime candidates for UNC's head coaching job will be competing against each other in the Final Four Saturday night.
UNC Baseball Sweeps Weekend Series at No. 23 Notre Dame
The Diamond Heels scored 34 total runs across a three-game sweep at No. 23 Notre Dame during the weekend. It’s the second road sweep this season for UNC, which is now 7-0 in road games. The two teams played a doubleheader Saturday after Friday’s opening game was postponed. A back-and-forth Game 1 saw the teams […]
›