For the first time in program history, Virginia men’s golf Saturday finished first in stroke play at the ACC Championship. The Cavaliers cruised to the finish at The Olde Stone Club in Bowling Green, Ky., posting a score of 18-under-par, eight strokes ahead of North Carolina in second place. They played the two lowest rounds of the three days: a 278 in the first round and a 280 in the final round.
The achievement comes alongside the top seed in match play, which begins Sunday. No. 1 seed Virginia will face No. 8 seed Georgia Tech, which went three-over in stroke play, in the quarterfinals. The winner will face either No. 4 seed Clemson or No. 5 seed SMU in the semifinals, later on Sunday.
Four Cavaliers finished in the top 10 in stroke play — juniors Bryan Lee and Ben James finished tied for sixth, while senior Deven Patel and sophomore Josh Duangmanee tied for ninth.
James posted an even-par 72, a one-over 73 and a six-under 66. His 66 was the best round of the tournament and helped Virginia secure its top spot in the final round. He was the best player in the field on par 4s, playing them at a cumulative eight-under. James also had the second-most birdies in the tournament with 16, showcasing his incredible ability to score.
His three rounds placed him in sixth alongside Lee, who carded a five-under 67, a one-under 71 and a one-over 73. His incredible play in the first round helped the Cavaliers create their lead, and he stayed consistent through the next two rounds. His key to scoring came on the par 3s, where he was one of the best in the field, finishing tied for second in scoring. His rounds featured fewer fireworks than James’ as he only birdied 11 holes, but he instead used steady play, making 37 pars, the fourth-most in the field.
Patel posted a four-under 68, a one-under 71 and a one-over 73 but played with absolute consistency throughout. His 40 pars were the most of any player in the field, as he rarely faltered. While his birdies did not quite materialize at the highest rate, his solid play helped him post good scores and contribute to the team victory.
Duangmanee finished with the same score as Patel, after rounds of one-under 71, one-over 73 and four-under 68. He fired 13 birdies and, with his big third round, assisted in Virginia’s locking up the trophy.
Senior Paul Chang rounded out the squad, weighing the team down with a T53 finish at eight-over. He played solidly with one-over 73s in the second and third rounds but was towed down by his opening six-over 78.
The Cavaliers played exceptionally well in most areas during the stroke play portion of the tournament. They were one of the top scorers on par 3s, while finishing second in birdies for the three rounds with 40.
But where they created separation was on the par 4s. They shot a total of 11-under on those holes across the three days, in itself a staggering figure. That becomes even more incredible when compared to the next-best team in the category, SMU, which finished at six-over on par 4s. Just on par fours alone, Virginia topped the rest of the field by 17 strokes, an amount that is hard to overcome.
Match play, though, is a different animal. The other side of the bracket is made up of No. 2 seed North Carolina, No. 3 seed Florida State, No. 6 seed California and No. 7 seed Wake Forest. The two teams that emerge from Sunday’s matches will meet Monday.
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