By STEVE WILLIAMS
It was a record-breaking weekend at Forest Oaks Country Club when UNC Greensboro played host to the sixth annual UNCG Bridgestone Golf Collegiate Oct. 23-24.
North Carolina rolled to a seven-shot win in the 14-team event and shaved 10 strokes off the previous tournament record for the lowest 54-hole score, posting 833 (280-268-285). Auburn (840) and Virginia Tech (842) also eclipsed the previous mark but settled for second and third place.
The Tar Heels took command in the second round by firing a tournament record 268. Henry Zaytoun and Michael McGowan shot 65 and 66, respectively, to lead the charge. They also counted a 67 by Clark Palmer and a 70 by Jack Fields and didn’t even need Kevin O’Connell’s 1-under-par 71.
Host UNCG was tied for fifth after Saturday’s double round, shooting 280-284, but slipped to 11th after a 309 Sunday.
David Lipsky from Northwestern and Blayne Barber of Auburn tied for the individual title, both finishing at 14-under par 202, a tournament record. They finished a shot better than McGowan, a North Carolina sophomore who posted 71-66-66.
Freshman Andy Knox was UNCG’s best finisher as his 5-under-par 211 (67-70-74) tied for 11th.
Ideal playing conditions helped 29 players finish under par.
Forest Oaks will host an NCAA Regional in 2012.
Guilford climbs to No. 1 ranking
Guilford College parlayed three fall tournament victories into a No. 1 national ranking among Division III golf teams.
The Quakers, who finished second in last year’s national championship, were listed first in two early November Division III rankings: the Golf World/Nike Division III Coaches’ Poll and the Golfstat.com Head-to-Head Rankings.
First-year head coach Corey Maggard’s squad completed its fall season with wins in three of five tournaments and placed no lower than fifth.
They closed the campaign by winning the O’Briant-Jensen Memorial at the Cardinal Country Club. Juniors Mat Hennick (69-73) and Dusty Roberts (75-69) finished 1-2 individually.
Sophomore Noah Ratner leads the Quakers with a 72.3 average and all five starters ended the fall with averages better than 77. The other starters are freshman Alex Wise and sophomore J.T. Thomas.
The Quakers return to action Feb. 21-22 at the Johnny Palmer/Old North State Invitational Feb. 21-22 in New London.
Guilford placed second in the 2010 NCAA Division III Championships by one stroke to Methodist and will host this year’s championships May 10-13 at the Grandover Conference Center & Resort in Greensboro.
Elon twosome wins Chatmoss tourney
The Elon University duo of Tanner Norton and Jack Adkins teamed up to win the Chatmoss Fall Team Invitational. Their 66-65 effort on Nov. 6-7 was one better than Elon Hall-of-Famer Keith Decker and his partner Adam Horton.
Longwood star out with back injury
Kameron Carter was primed for a great senior season at Longwood University, but it will be a year later than expected.
Carter, a Bassett, Va., native who has three wins and 20 top-10 finishes in 30 career events at Longwood, will be sidelined the rest of the season with a back injury that will require surgery.
Even with the painful injury, Carter posted a solid finish in what was her only tournament of the fall. She missed the Lancers’ first four events but tried to tough it out at the Furman Lady Paladin Invitational Oct. 28-31 after having an injection in her back. She shot 76-75-79 to finish seventh among 90 players and led Longwood to fourth in the 17-team field.
“After playing at Furman she realized along with her doctor that there would be no way for her to be able to compete in the spring,” stated Longwood coach Alison Wright. “Kameron will be having season ending back surgery in December. We will be applying for a medical hardship waiver when we have an opportunity to do so.”
Wake’s Sheary medalist in Futures Tour Qualifying
Wake Forest’s 15th ranked women’s team closed the fall with an eighth-place finish in the 18-team Landfall Tradition in late October to go with earlier efforts of ninth, 10th and 13th. But the highlight of the fall came from senior Natalie Sheary in early November.
Sheary, playing as an amateur, was medalist of the LPGA Futures Tour Qualifying Tournament in Winter Haven, Fla., beating out a field that included 308 amateurs and professionals.
Sheary shot 76-67-67-70 and ended four shots better than professional Jackie Barenborg of Vero Beach, Fla.
The top finishers in the event earned status for the 2011 Futures Tour.
Sheary, the ACC individual champ in 2009, has helped the Lady Deacons win back-to-back conference championships.
