49ers golf team wins Chapel Hill Regional; heading to NCAA championship
The Charlotte 49ers men’s golf team fired a round of nine-under 279 to best the field by five shots and win the Chapel Hill Regional title on Saturday afternoon. The Niners, entering the event ranked No. 50, held off No. 11 Stanford by five and No. 1 Florida State by eight to claim their first Regional Championship.
“Wow, what an amazing job by our guys,” said coach Ryan Cabbage. “They were tough when we needed to be tough; they were good when we needed to be good. I’m so, so proud of these guys. ... We knew on this golf course today it was going to take a good round and to do what we did, to get the low round, it was very special.”
Charlotte opened with a 13-under round of 275 on Thursday for the overnight lead, posted a three-over 291 on Friday and sat one shot behind Stanford heading into Saturday’s finale. The 279 during the final 18 gave Charlotte a three-day total of 845, which is just one shot off of the school’s all-time record in NCAA postseason play. Charlotte’s previous best finish as a team was tied for sixth in 2010.
Victor Wiggins and Thomas Rowland finished in a tie for fourth in the 75-man field, which ties a school record by place.
The Niners have almost two weeks to prepare for the NCAA championship to be held at the Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla., just south of Tampa. The format will call for all teams and individuals to play three stroke play rounds before the field is cut to the top 15 teams and nine individuals. After stroke play commences after the fourth and final round, the top eight teams will square off in a match play format to decide the champion.
The Golf Channel will have live coverage from Florida starting with the final stroke play round and all three match play rounds. Tickets are available at ncaagolfchampionships.com.
▪ Former North Lincoln player Miller Capps fired a three-under-par 69 to lead Clemson to a fifth-place finish, which gains the Tigers entry into the NCAA tournament in Bradenton, Fla. on May 29.
This story was originally published May 16, 2015 at 4:27 PM with the headline "49ers golf team wins Chapel Hill Regional; heading to NCAA championship."