The University of North Carolina men’s golf team returns to competition just five days after winning for the fourth time this season when the Tar Heels tee off in the Calusa Cup, hosted by Iowa, at the Calusa Pines Golf Club in Naples, Fla., Sunday through Tuesday, April 2-4.
UNC shot 12 under par in the final round to defeat Texas Tech, Arizona State and three other top-10 teams to win the Valspar Collegiate Invitational March 28 at the Floridian National Golf Club in Palm City, Fla.
The Tar Heels head across the Sunshine State to take on another national championship caliber field in the Calusa Cup.
Carolina moved up one spot to No. 3 in the Golfstat rankings after the win at Valspar. The Calusa Cup field includes top-ranked Vanderbilt, No. 2 Texas Tech, No. 5 Arizona State, and four other teams ranked in the top 40 (No. 26 Ohio State, No. 29 Georgia, No. 35 Wake Forest and No. 39 Purdue).
Carolina has won four of seven starts this season, including the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas; the Jackson T. Stephens Cup at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Fla., the Williams Cup at Eagle Point in Wilmington, N.C.; and the Valspar.
The four wins are the most in a season by the Tar Heels since 1997-98. The last time Carolina won at least five times in a season was in 1984-85, when UNC had six wins.
The Tar Heels are averaging 279.52 strokes and 4.48 strokes below par per round, both the best figures in Carolina history. It is the fourth straight season Carolina has lowered its season-best score to par.
UNC enters the Calusa Cup ranked No. 2 by Golfweek, No. 3 by Golfstat and No. 4 by the Golf Coaches Association. Vanderbilt, which has five wins this season, is the No. 1 team in the nation in all three polls.
The Tar Heels and Commodores have competed in the same event one time this season, in October at the Hogan Invitational where UNC shot 278-272-275 to win at 15-under 825. The Commodores were fifth at 1 under.
“This is our first time playing in the Calusa Cup but we know it’s another tournament where we get to tee it up on an incredible golf course against the best players and teams in the country,” says DiBitetto, who has led the Tar Heels to 14 team titles in his seasons as head coach. “It’s what our guys love and it’ll be another great opportunity for…
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