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University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heel Golfers At NCAA Championships
May 29, 2002 | Men's Golf
May 29, 2002
TAR HEEL GOLF NOTES
*CAROLINA IN THE NCAA:
Carolina has been to the NCAA Championships 31 times since 1949 and 20 times in the last 22 years. The Tar Heels have carded 23 top 20 finishes and 14 top 10 finishes in NCAA competition. Carolina has had 17 players finish in the top 10 of the individual race 18 times and 29 players finish in the top 20 individually 34 times. Prior to this year, the Tar Heels made trips to the NCAAs in 1949, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1960, 1962, 1971, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002. This year's NCAA Championships will be played May 29-June 1 at Ohio State's Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio, a par 71, 7,222-yard layout.*CAROLINA'S TWO CHAMPS: Two Tar Heels, John Inman and Harvie Ward, have won NCAA Individual Championships. On his way to the title in 1949, Ward defeated Oklahoma's Bo Winninger, LSU's Gardner Dickinson and Notre Dame's Tommy Veech before dispatching Texas' Morris Williams Jr. in the 36-hole final, five and four. Thirty-five years later in 1984, Inman captured the title with a 17-under-par score (271), breaking Ben Crenshaw's NCAA record by two strokes. That record, set at Houston's Bear Creek Golf World, was broken in 2000 by Charles Howell of Oklahoma State who fired a 23-under score of 266.
*TAR HEELS IN THIS YEAR'S NCAA EAST REGIONAL: Carolina was the surprise team of the NCAA East Regional, finishing in third place with an 877 total after rounds of 295-286-296, just one stroke behind Clemson and Georgia Tech at 876. The Tar Heel golfers recorded six sub-par scores over the three rounds, more than any other school. Clemson and Georgia Southern were next as each posted four scores 71 or lower at Ansley Golf Club's Settindown Creek, a par 72, 7,119-yard layout in Roswell, Ga. Moreover, Carolina was the only team in which each of the five players in the lineup carded at least one sub-par score and Tar Heel Bob Cherry had two such rounds. Cherry was the runner-up in the individual race posting a three-under 213 total after firing rounds of 73-69-71. Cherry finished three strokes behind Clemson's D.J. Trahan who carded a 210 total with rounds of 69-70-71. Tar Heel Brad Moldin tied for 18th place with a 221 total while Ramon Bescansa tied for 26th at 223, Dustin Bray tied for 36th at 225 and Jeremy Elliott tied for 66th with a 228 total.
The top 10 teams and top two individuals not on those 10 teams advanced to the NCAA Championships from each of the three NCAA Regionals. From the East Regional, the team qualifiers are Clemson, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Augusta State, Virginia Commonwealth, Georgia Southern, Auburn, Georgia, Florida and Alabama-Birmingham. The individuals advancing include Vanderbilt's Brandt Snedeker and Michigan State's Eric Jorgensen.
*BRAY SELECTED TO ALL-ACC TEAM: Dustin Bray, a sophomore from Asheboro, N.C., and this year's ACC champion, was one of 12 golfers named to the 2002 All-Atlantic Coast Conference team. Bray was joined on the All-ACC team by Georgia Tech's Troy Matteson, Kris Mikkelsen and Matt Weibring; Clemson's Gregg Jones and D.J. Trahan; NC State's Garth Mulroy and Justin Walters; Wake Forest's Bill Haas and Brent Wanner; Maryland's Corey Brigham and Virginia's Steve Marino.
Clemson's Trahan was chosen ACC Player of the Year while Georgia Tech freshman Chan Wongluekiet was named Rookie of the Year and Yellow Jacket Head Coach Bruce Heppler was selected ACC Coach for the Year for the second consecutive year and the third time in his career.
*TAR HEELS' SUCCESS IN REGIONALS: Since the regional format was instituted in men's golf in 1989, Carolina has been selected to play in the Regionals each year and has qualified for the NCAA Championships 13 out of 14 times. The only year Carolina did not advance to NCAAs was last year when they participated in the Central Regional.
*CAROLINA COMING OFF TOP PERFORMANCE: North Carolina is coming off its finest performance of the year, a third-place finish at the NCAA East Regional. The Tar Heels tallied an 877 total, just one stroke behind co-champions Clemson and Georgia Tech. Junior Bob Cherry led the Tar Heels as he was the runner-up posting a three-under-par 213, three strokes behind Clemson's D.J. Trahan. The Tar Heels also played well in the tournaments leading up to the East Regional. Carolina finished fifth at the ACC Championship after rounds of 283-285-294 for an 862 total and Tar Heel Dustin Bray captured the individual title after firing an 11-under-par 205 total with rounds of 66-67-72. Bray's 205 total was two shots better than a pair of 207s by two Georgia Tech players, Matt Weibring and Nicholas Thompson. Prior to ACCs, Carolina carded a 15-under 849 total after firing rounds of 285-273-291 for a third-place finish in The Intercollegiate played at Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels finished eight strokes behind champion Wake Forest and seven shots behind runner-up NC State. Earlier this spring, Carolina captured the team championship at the Seminole Intercollegiate in Tallahassee, Fla. Three Tar Heels posted top 20 finishes - Bob Cherry, Dustin Bray and Brad Moldin. Carolina tallied a ninth-place finish at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., the first tournament of the spring campaign. In their other spring tournaments, the Tar Heels finished 10th at the Birkdale Collegiate Classic in Huntersville, N.C., finished 14th at the Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational played in Statesboro, Ga., and tied for 14th place at the Cleveland Golf/Augusta State Invitational in Augusta, Ga.
In the fall campaign, the Tar Heels posted three top 10 finishes. They tied for fifth place at the Mason Rudolph Championships in Franklin, Tenn., and finished in seventh place at the Carpet Capital Classic in Dalton, Ga. and the Duke Golf Classic in Durham. In their other two tournaments, the Heels finished 13th at The Ridges Intercollegiate in Jonesborough, Tenn. and The Prestige in Palm Desert, Calif.
*BRAY TOP PERFORMER FOR THE TAR HEELS: Dustin Bray, a unanimous selection on this year's All-ACC team, captured the individual title at the ACC Championships in just his second year as a Tar Heel. For the second win of his collegiate career, Bray fired rounds of 66-67-72 for an 11-under-par 205 total to stave off a pair of Georgia Tech players, Matt Weibring and Nicholas Thompson, by two strokes. Bray led throughout the tournament which was played at the Old North State Club in New London, N.C., carding 14 birdies and only three bogies. Many of Bray's friends and relatives were there to see the biggest win of his young career as he is a native of nearby Asheboro.
ray has held down the number one spot in Carolina's starting lineup throughout his two-year collegiate career. He has carded five top five and eight top 10 performances this year - four last fall and four so far this spring. This spring, he won the ACC Championship, tied for fifth place at The Intercollegiate, tied for seventh at the Seminole Intercollegiate and tied for 10th at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate.
In the fall campaign, Bray tied for individual medalist honors at The Prestige, the first individual victory of his collegiate career. He also tied for third place at the Mason Rudolph Championships, tied for fifth at the Duke Golf Classic and tallied a 10th-place finish at the Carpet Capital Classic.
*CHERRY SHINES AT EAST REGIONAL: Bob Cherry, a junior from Wilmington, N.C., was the runner-up at the NCAA East Regional leading the Heels to a third-place finish. Cherry carded a three-under-par 213 total after firing rounds of 73-69-71, just three strokes behind champion D.J. Trahan of Clemson. Cherry garnered a spot in the starting lineup this spring and has tallied five top 25 finishes. He also tied for runner-up honors at the Seminole Intercollegiate, leading the Tar Heels to the team title. Cherry tied for 10th place at the Cleveland Golf/ASU Invitational, tied for 14th place at The Intercollegiate and finished in 22nd place at the ACC Championship. His top finish in two appearances last fall was a tie for 47th place at the Mason Rudolph Championships.
*BESCANSA SHOOTS RECORD ROUND: Ramon Bescansa, a junior from Santiago, Spain, was the runner-up at The Intercollegiate earlier this spring. After carding an even-par 72 in the opening round, Bescansa fired an eight-under-par 64 in the second round, breaking the course record at Finley Golf Course by one stroke. He added a four-under 68 in the final round for a 12-under 204 total. Bescansa has posted two additional top 10 finishes this spring - a tie for fifth place at the Birkdale Collegiate Classic and a tie for 10th place at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship. He tied for 26th place at the NCAA East Regional, tied for 32nd place at the ACC Championship and his low performance last fall was a tie for 28th place at the Mason Rudolph Championships.
*ELLIOTT AND MOLDIN ROUND OUT LINEUP: Jeremy Elliott, a junior from Chapel Hill, N.C., has struggled a bit this spring. However, he carded a pair of top 20 finishes last fall, tying for 16th place at the Mason Rudolph Championships and at the Duke Golf Classic. His top finish this spring was a tie for 43rd place at the Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational.
Brad Moldin, a junior walk-on from Wilmington, N.C., has played in all but one of Carolina's spring tournaments. Moldin's top finishes were a tie for 17th place at the Seminole Intercollegiate and a tie for 18th place at the East Regional.
*TAR HEELS IN THE POLLS: Carolina is ranked 38th nationally in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings. Tar Heel sophomore Dustin Bray is ranked 19th in the individual rankings.
*JOHN INMAN IN FOURTH YEAR AS TAR HEEL COACH: John Inman, in his fourth year at the Tar Heel helm, led Carolina to a 10th-place finish in the NCAA Championships in 1999 and 2000. Carolina has captured the team title in four tournaments since Inman was named head coach, three coming during the 1998-99 season and one in 2001-02.
Inman came to Carolina in the summer of '98 after spending 12 years on the PGA Tour. A native of Greensboro, N.C., and a 1984 graduate of Carolina, Inman won two tournaments during his professional career -- the 1987 Provident Classic and the 1993 Buick Southern Open. He posted eight top 10 finishes and 32 top 25 finishes.
Inman, a three-time All-America (1982-84) and three-time All-ACC performer (1982-84), played on the Tar Heel team from 1981-84. He won the NCAA Individual Championship in 1984 and was the recipient of the 1984 Fred Haskins Award as the National Player of the Year. Inman won five individual titles while donning a Tar Heel uniform, including the '84 NCAA Championship and the '82 ACC Championship. Inman was also a member of the 1984 World Amateur Team and the '84 Western Amateur champion.
