Ryan Burnett won the individual title by two strokes and the University of North Carolina advanced to the 2023 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship by finishing third in a 14-team field Wednesday in the NCAA Salem (S.C.) Regional at The Cliffs at Keowee Falls.
The Tar Heels are advancing out of regional play to the NCAA Championship for the sixth consecutive post-season (no NCAA Tournament was held in 2020 due to the pandemic). That is the sixth-longest streak in the country (and could be fifth if Oklahoma State does not advance from the Las Vegas Regional, which is still being played).
Carolina shot 18-under-par 270 today to finish third at 43-under 821 behind Georgia Tech (-53) and Arkansas (-45). New Mexico was fourth (-42) and Clemson and Texas A&M both shot 29 under and were in a playoff to determine the final team to advance.
Burnett (63-68-68) made his fourth and final birdie of the day on the 18th hole and was bogey-free for the round to shoot his second straight 68 and finish the tournament at 17-under 199, two ahead of Furman’s Sam Lape, who shot a 64 in the final round. Georgia Tech’s Christo Lamprecht and Connor Howe tied for third at 14-under 202.
Burnett’s 54-hole totals (17-under 199) equal the third best in UNC history and are the best by a Tar Heel in an NCAA regional.
Carolina’s Dylan Menante (70-70-64) made nine birdies and only one bogey to shoot a season-low 64, which pushed him up 16 spots on the leader board to a tie for sixth place at 12-under 204. Menante made six birdies and shot 6-under 30 on the front side.
Burnett won his third collegiate title and second this season. He opened the regional by tying his career best with a 63 on Monday. Today, Burnett made three birdies on the first six holes, parred every hole from seven through 17 and closed with a birdie 4 on the final hole.
Burnett is the second Tar Heel to win medalist honors at an NCAA regional in as many seasons. Austin Greaser won the 2022 NCAA Yale Regional. Greaser (67-70-69) shot 69 today to tie for 11th at 10-under 206. He also shot 10 under (200) last year in winning the regional in New Haven, Conn.
David Ford (3-under 69) and Peter Fountain (1-under 71) both shot their best rounds of the regional today.
The Tar Heels shot 43 under par for the tournament, which tied the second-best score to par in UNC history….
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