The No. 1 UNC men’s golf team overcame a shaky start at the Blessings Invitational in Arkansas to finish tied for fourth overall at one shot under par.

The Tar Heels finished round one of the tournament sitting in sixth place in the ten-team field and four-over par, but used a strong second day to get back into the top half of competitors. Their 282 team score during round two tied for third-best among the field that day. A 289 in the third and final round ensured a tie for fourth place with Tennessee and Illinois. The hosts, No. 9 Arkansas, finished head and shoulders above the field with an 18-under par team score.

Senior Ryan Gerard finished with the best score among Tar Heel competitors, tying for sixth place individually at six-under par. His scores improved during each round: a 76 on day one, a 69 on day two and a 65 on day three. Junior Austin Greaser also finished in the Top 10, tying for ninth at three-under par. Sophomore Peter Fountain tied for 12th at two-under par. Gerard and Greaser placed second and third in the tournament with 19 and 16 birdies each, respectively.

Gerard’s 65 in the third round, powered by an eagle and seven birdies, is his season-low for a single round, and the lowest by a Tar Heel men’s golfer this season. Gerard’s career-low is 61.

Still, the Blessings Collegiate Invitational stands as the worst result for the UNC men’s golf program this season. The Tar Heels won their first two tournaments, both in the team standings and individual standings.

“As a group, we’ve had a lot of mojo so far this year,” said head coach Andrew DiBitetto, who recently signed a five-year contract extension. “That wasn’t the case this week. The good news is we’ve played some incredible and challenging golf courses in our three tournaments. Individually, we saw some excellent moments again this week, highlighted by Ryan Gerard’s 65 [during round three]. He hit several incredible shots and made putts. He was in the zone, especially on the back nine.”

The Tar Heels will now be off for three weeks before hosting the inaugural Williams Cup in Wilmington, N.C. later this month.

 

Featured image via Carolina Athletics

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