(Photo: Wright Hilbert/GoHeels.com, 247Sports)
The North Carolina Men’s Golf Team put together another high finish to continue a strong fall run. This time the Tar Heels finished in second place at the Fighting Irish Classic at Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course in South Bend, Indiana.
UNC went into the final round of the 54-hole event with a one stroke lead over UCLA. However, the Bruins rallied on Tuesday to finish seven-under par which was three strokes ahead of the Tar Heels. They were the only two teams to finish in red numbers. Notre Dame, Louisville, Purdue, Iowa, Tennessee, Oklahoma State, and Indiana were some of the other notable programs in the event. .
Carolina was led by Carson Bertagnole who took medalist honors with rounds of 67-64-73 for a six-under score of 204. The Pinehurst native went into a three-way playoff with Iowa’s Maxwell Tjoa, and Lance Simpson of Tennessee. The freshman rolled in a 35-foot putt on the second playoff hole to win the individual title.
According to Steve Kirschner of UNC’s Athletic Department, Bertagnole is the tenth Tar Heel to win medalist honors under head coach, Andrew Dibitetto.
The Tar Heels’ showing in South Bend comes just one week after they finished in a four-way tie at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational at the legendary Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas with the Longhorns, Vanderbilt, and Virginia. The share of first place gave Coach Dibitetto his 25th team title in nine seasons at North Carolina. Andrew Riley and Keaton Vo both tied for 13th place at two-over par.
North Carolina finished second to LSU three weeks ago at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup in Lake Bluff, Illinois. The match play finals between the two teams was shown on the Golf Channel. UNC opened the season during the first week of September with a sixth-place finish at the Sahalee Sahalee Players Championship at the Sahalee Country Club in Washington.
Here is a detailed look at how each individual Tar Heel golfer has performed in the four fall events so far.
Sahalee Players Championship
Team- 6th place, 21-over par (885)
Carson Bertagnole- T24, +6 (222)
Andrew Riley- T24, +6 (222)
Sihan Sandhu-T24, +6 (222)
Grant Roscich – T30, +8 (224)
Keaton Vo – T55, +15 (231)
Jackson T. Stephens Cup
Team -2nd place, -11 (829)
Keaton Vo – T3, -4 (206)
Andrew Riley – T7,-3 (207)
Carson Bertagnole- T13, -1 (209)
Niall Sheils-Donegan – T16 E (210)
Sihan Sandhu – T25, +2 (212)
Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational
Team- T1, +10 (850)
Andrew Riley – T13, +2 (212)
Keaton Vo – T13, +2 (212)
Niall Sheils-Donegan – T17, +3 (213)
Carson Bertagnole- T27, +4 (214)
Sihan Sandhu – T57, +12 (222)
Fighting Irish Classic
Team – 2nd Place (836)
Carson Bertagnole – 1st, -6 (204)
Andrew Riley – T8, -2 (208)
Misha Golod – T12, +1 (211)
Grant Roscich – T29, +4 (214)
Sihan Sandhu – T39, +7(217)
Keaton Vo – T56, +10 (220)