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GREENVILLE, N.C. – Iszac Bertagnole of North Carolina Central claimed individual co-champion honors at the Ironwood Collegiate Classic on Tuesday after a thrilling finish at Ironwood Golf & Country Club.
The two-day, three-round tournament turned into a battle between Bertagnole and Joe MacPherson of Old Dominion in the final round. Bertagnole held a slim lead but MacPherson moved ahead by one stroke on the 16th hole.
MacPherson then bogeyed the 17th hole while Bertagnole parred the final two holes to pull even. Both golfers finished as co-medalists in a competitive 16-team field that included Power Four programs North Carolina and N.C. State.
Bertagnole fired an eight-under-par 208, including a first-round leading 66 on Monday, to tie MacPherson. James Hassell of High Point finished third at seven-under-par 209 and Barnes Blake of Georgetown placed fourth at six-under-par 210.
The Pinehurst, N.C., native is the second Eagles’ golfer to finish as a co-champion in the first two weeks of the season. Jamal Hutchison tied for first in the Thomas W. Dortch Jr. HBCU Classic, which was held Sept. 21-22.
Bertagnole’s performance was especially impressive considering he played his second tournament for the Eagles since returning from a two-year church mission. As a freshman, Bertagnole was named Northeast Conference (NEC) Rookie of the Year and made the All-NEC team during the 2023-24 season. He set the program’s single-season scoring average record with a 73.5 score in his first year.
Hutchison finished strong on Tuesday with a one-under par 71 in the third round. He was the Eagles’ second-best individual scorer, shooting a six-over-par 222 to tie for 51st among 90 golfers.
UP NEXT
The Eagles will take a week off before traveling to Jonesboro, Ark., for the Bubba Barnett Intercollegiate on Oct. 12-13.
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