David Ford has reached several milestones in the last month. He completed the best individual season in UNC men’s golf’s history, earned a spot on the PGA Tour for next season, and got a video message from Tar Heel legends.

Ford — a senior with the Carolina program and a Georgia native — finished at the top of the PGA Tour University rankings at the end of the collegiate season, amassing more than 1,200 points across 27 events. His six wins were more than anyone else in the country and set a new single-season record for UNC alongside his next record in average scoring (68.78), score to par (-89), score to par per round (-2.47) and rounds in the 60s (25).

The UNC men’s golf team fell short of advancing to the NCAA Championships this year, meaning Ford’s collegiate career ended at the Urbana Regional on May 14. But with that top spot in the university rankings, he secured a two-year entry to the professional tour, starting with the RBC Canadian Open this weekend.

To celebrate the achievement and transition from college to the pro field, the PGA Tour arranged a special video message to be shared with Ford. In it, UNC men’s basketball icons Roy Williams and Vince Carter congratulate the graduating senior, as well as new Carolina football head coach Bill Belichick and his predecessor, Mack Brown.

“I think Coach Williams definitely stood out to me,” Ford remarked afterward in a video the PGA Tour shared on social media. “He’s had a lot of belief in me since freshman year, so I’m super thankful for the way he’s taught me about how to be a great leader and also the ways he’s encouraged me.”

Ford finished off a sparkling four-year run with the Tar Heels as the most decorated player in the program. He became the first UNC golfer to win the Nicklaus Award and the second to win the Haskins Award (John Inman in 1984), both of which are annually given to the best player of the year. He also earned first-team All-America and All-PING/East Region honors, becoming the first Tar Heel ever to earn first team All-America honors twice. Ford is also the only UNC golfer ever to be named a first, second or third team All-American in each of his four seasons in Chapel Hill.

 

Featured photo via Andy Mead/YCJ via UNC Athletics Communications.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
The 2021-22 UNC Athletics Season In Review
With the conclusion of the Men’s College World Series in Omaha earlier this week, the 2021-22 NCAA season is officially over. Twenty-eight UNC varsity teams took to the fields, courts, diamonds, pools and tracks this past season, as well as several other teams at the non-NCAA club level (looking at you, ultimate). All in all, […]
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: Needs to Go...Now
With Michael Lombardi put onto administrative leave, UNC Athletics Director Steve Newmark has a tough, but clear, decision to make.
Chansky's Notebook: The Cost of Business
Carolina has released its salary structure for the 2026-27 men’s basketball season, and right now it has to be a game of wait and see. Mike Malone is making $7.5 million in his first college head coaching season and his new top assistant Chuck Martin is making $500,000. Here is where it gets interesting. The […]
Check out the Full Schedule for UNC's ACC Network Takeover
The ACC Network will air a full day of UNC games from the 2025-26 academic year Wednesday, July 1. It’s part of a series of ACC Network Takeovers, which started June 24 and include all 18 member schools. UNC’s takeover includes wall-to-wall coverage from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The broadcast day gets underway with […]
Multiple UNC Teams Post Perfect Academic Progress Rates, New Report Says
Several UNC sports programs posted perfect single-year and multi-year academic progress rates for the 2024-25 academic year, according to the NCAA’s latest report. Academic progress rate (APR) is used to track performance of scholarship students who compete on varsity teams, and the score measures eligibility and retention each semester. A perfect score is 1000, and […]
Chansky's Notebook: Draft Dodgers?
Bill Belichick and Michael Malone have found themselves in the same undesirable dilemma: neither has any draft picks.
Tar Heel Fans React to Michael Malone's UNC Introduction on Social Media
Tuesday's formal hiring and introduction of Michael Malone to lead the UNC men's basketball program led to scores of UNC fans took to social media to share their celebration and reactions.
Photo Gallery: UNC Introduces Michael Malone as New Men's Basketball Coach
UNC dignitaries, former Tar Heel stars, fans and local media gathered in the Dean Smith Center Tuesday evening to all meet the men's basketball program's new head coach: Michael Malone.
Financial Report Shows UNC Athletics Operated at $15 Million Deficit in 2024-25 Year
The newest financial report from the UNC athletic department to the NCAA shows the department operated at a deficit of more than $15 million during the 2024-25 fiscal year. The department reported revenues of $172,951,034 and reported expenses of $187,967,260. The UNC athletic department had operated at a profit in each of the past three […]
›