The UNC men’s golf team saw its season come to an end in Arizona on Tuesday, as the Tar Heels dropped a close quarterfinal match to No. 6 seed and defending national champion Pepperdine, 3-2.

The match came down to the final holes, as the Tar Heels and Waves stayed neck-and-neck through the entire day. Ryan Burnett, fresh off tying for first place in the individual NCAA Championship, fell to Dylan Menante of Pepperdine in 19 holes in the first match of the day, after carrying a one-hole lead into the 18th.

Carolina’s David Ford flipped the script in the day’s second match, coming back from a one-hole deficit on the 17th to win his match and even up the score. Peter Fountain carried a lead for much of the front nine on his Waves opponent, but ultimately lost that lead on the back half of the course and dropped his match. Junior Austin Greaser won his match handily, and all eyes went to the day’s fifth and final match between UNC’s Ryan Gerard and Pepperdine’s Derek Hitchner.

The match was tied with three holes to go, but it was Hitchner who won on 16 and 17 to clinch the match for the Waves and send them through to the semifinals on Wednesday.

It’s the second straight season the Tar Heels have been sent home in the national quarterfinals, but does not overshadow what was a very successful campaign for the team. Burnett and Ford each finished in the top 5 of the individual field, which is the first time two Tar Heels have done so in NCAA Championship history. The team finished tied fifth in the NCAA Championship, which is also a program first.

 

Featured image via UNC Men’s Golf on Twitter

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