The Virginia men's golf team hopes to carry momentum into the ACC Championship to be held this weekend in New London, N.C. Competing last weekend in the Marriott Intercollegiate Tournament in North Carolina, the Cavaliers finished eighth in the field of 15, fueled by sophomore Daniel Kefale's season-best score of 69 on the final day. Facing a contingent of competitive ACC schools this weekend, the Cavaliers are not underestimating their competition and feel their schedule has adequately prepared them for their competition.
"In terms of competition, there are six [ACC] teams in the top 25 right now, so it's a very strong conference and probably the best conference in the country," Virginia coach Bowen Sargent said. "We've seen almost every team that's going to be here in the ACCs and have competed against teams that are as good or better even at times."
The Marriott also featured a season-best performance from junior Greg Carlin, who finished 17th overall, his best finish in a tournament this season. After posting rounds of 72 and 71 Friday, Carlin finished with a 74 Saturday for a tournament total of 217. His 54-hole total bested his previous top tournament score by five shots, and it was the second top-20 finish of his career.
As the Cavaliers gear up for the championship at New London, the team has not only a difficult field of competition to prepare for but also a difficult golf course.
"They've hosted ACCs probably for seven or eight years," Sargent said. "Most of the guys have seen it. [Freshman] Kyle Stough will be the only guy who hasn't played there. We [have] played some very tough golf courses, so the guys should be ready."
Kefale understands the stiff competition of the ACC and is ready for the challenge this weekend presents.
"I've played a lot of teams in the ACC, so I know they're all pretty good," Kefale said. "I know a lot of the guys on other teams and I know what they're capable of shooting, and I also know what we're capable of shooting. We can keep up with them; we just have to keep up with them for three days."
Kefale also commented on the marathon nature of the tournament.
"It's kind of like a basketball game, when you are the underdog," Kefale said. "You might be able to keep the score good for three quarters, but it's a four-quarter game."
Sargent singled out Kefale's outstanding play last weekend as the spark for the team's solid performance on the final day and hopes to see continued improvement from the team heading into the championship.
"We had a very good first round; we slipped a little in the second round and came back in the third round mainly due to Daniel [Kefale's] effort," Sargent said. "We've continued to get better as the season has progressed. Almost in every tournament we've gotten better with successive rounds. The team is shaping up nicely in terms of progression as we head into ACCs."
The Cavaliers are ready to take on the stiff competition that the ACC has to offer.
"I definitely am [ready]," Kefale said. "I know the other guys on my team are ready. It's the ACC, and in just about every sport it's one of the best conferences in the nation, and golf is no exception. We've just got to get fired up."
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