RALEIGH – Fresh off a big win in Cedar Rapids, Iowa at the Golfweek Conference Challenge, the Wolfpack Men’s Golf team came out firing once again. On a beautiful day at the Lonnie Poole Golf Course, the Wolfpack shot sixteen under for the tournament to scrape a narrow two-stroke victory over the Tarheels after being deadlocked with the Heels in rounds one and two. The Pack also defeated a few other nearby foes in the match, defeating Campbell University by hefty fifteen stroke margin and crushing the Pirates from East Carolina University by twenty-four strokes. UNC finished at fourteen under for the tournament, finishing second. Campbell rounded out the top three shooting one under for the tournament.
The Wolfpack golf team was led by junior Stephen Franklin who was lights out, and took home the honors of first place after shooting fifteen under on the tournament and two under in round three. Also inside the top fifteen of the tournament was junior Nolan Mills who finished tied for thirteenth shooting one under for the tournament and one over in round three. Benjamin Shipp shot two over for the tournament finishing tied for twenty-fifth. Easton Paxton shot four over the past two days finishing tied for thirty-first. Rounding out the top five four the Pack, Christian Salzar tied for fortieth shooting seven over on the tournament. Individual for the Pack, Justin Hood and Harrison Rhoades played well shooting two over and three over, respectively.
Junior Harrison Rhoades shot a seventy-five today. Rhoades was paired up with Ryan Gerard from UNC, who started off with a hot first nine shooting three under before making the turn. Once the pair made the turn, Gerard started to cool off and shot a forty-two on the last nine holes where Rhoades shot a thirty-nine to finish the round tied with Gerard at seventy-five. Disappointed about his round, Rhoades said, “My driver was a little shaky throughout the round, but my short game was able to save me a couple times which held my round together.”
The Wolfpack grabbed the second tournament win for the fall at the Wolfpack Intercollegiate. Men’s Pack Golf will be back in action in Greensboro, North Carolina at the UNCG Grandover Intercollegiate the weekend before Halloween. The tournament in Greensboro will conclude the golf team’s fall season. They will open the spring season up in Puerto Rico in February.