Participating as individuals, Mebane native Nick Mathews of N.C. State and Nick Hernandez of UNC Greensboro got off to good starts at the NCAA Men’s Championship Friday before fading down the stretch at La Costa North in Carlsbad, California.
Powered by brothers David and Maxwell Ford and Peter Fountain, North Carolina grabbed third place. The top 15 teams will survive a 15-team cut. Only eight will advance to match play after a fourth round.
Despite playing several hours apart, Mathews and Hernandez had similar results. Mathews shooting 2-over-par 74, and Hernandez posing 75 after each were posting to under-par scores early on the back nine.
Both made double-bogeys on par-4s late in their rounds with Mathews making his 6 at No. 15, but rebounding to make birdie at 18. Hernandez made double at 17 after consecutive bogeys.
Playing in the afternoon, UNC shot 3-over 291 with its four counting scores in the 30-team, 156-player field, only one stroke behind co-leaders Virginia and Arizona. Georgia Tech was one stroke behind UNC.
Hirochi Tai of Georgia Tech took the individual lead with 67. The nine individuals, including players on teams that don’t make the 54-hole cut, will advance as individuals to the final stroke-play round on Monday.
David Ford, who shot 71, was one of only 14 players to break par on the 7,538-yard course. Maxwell Ford and Fountain shot 72 for UNC, which also counted Austin Greaser’s 76.
Wake Forest shot 10-over 298 in the morning to tie for 15th. Michael Brennan and Tom Haberer shot 72 and Marshall Meisel shot 75. But Wake had to count a 79, the score made by Scotty Kennon and Collin Adams.
Kennon shot 1-under 35 on the front nine, but made two double-bogeys and a triple-bogey in the final five holes. Adams made three double-bogeys.
