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University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Ready to Take on Karsten Creek Challenge
May 24, 2018 | Men's Golf
National Championship Tees off in Stillwater on Friday
• Carolina is playing in the NCAA Championship for the 44th time and second consecutive year. This is the first time UNC has advanced to the championship tournament in consecutive seasons since 2006 and 2007.
• Carolina advanced to the NCAA Championship by finishing fourth at the Kissimmee Regional. The Tar Heels shot 21-under-843 and finished behind Florida (-42), UCF (-30) and Vanderbilt (-22) and one stroke ahead of Kent State.
• Carolina is the No. 13 seed.
• The Tar Heels are ranked 16th in the nation by Golfstat (as of 5/17).
• Carolina is paired with BYU and Kansas in the first two rounds. They will begin play at 3:10 p.m. Eastern on the 10th hole on May 25th.
CAROLINA AT KARSTEN CREEK
• This is Carolina's third tournament at the Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla.
• UNC is playing at Karsten Creek for the first time since the 2003 NCAA Championship. The Tar Heels tied for ninth (of 30 teams) at 64 over par.
• UNC also played at Karsten Creek in the 2001 NCAA Central Regional (14th of 27 teams).
• Carolina's best individual round at Karsten Creek was a 71 by Dustin Bray in the fourth and final round in the 2003 NCAA Championship.
TAR HEEL LINEUP (listed alphabetically)
Ben Griffin – Sr., Chapel Hill, N.C. (2nd NCAA Championship)
Austin Hitt – So., Longwood, Fla. (2nd NCAA Championship)
Joshua Martin – Jr., Pinehurst, N.C. (1st NCAA Championship)
Jose Montaño – Sr., Cochabamba, Bolivia (2nd NCAA Championship)
William Register – Sr., Burlington, N.C. (2nd NCAA Championship)
Ryan Gerard – Fr., Raleigh, N.C. (alternate)
SEASON RECAP
• Andrew DiBitetto is in his first season as head coach and Matt Clark is in his first as assistant coach. DiBitetto was UNC's assistant and associate head coach the previous six years. Clark came to Chapel Hill after 14 seasons as head coach at Georgia State and UNCW.
• DiBitetto played at Charlotte, where he was ninth at the 2007 NCAA Championship. He led the 49ers to third- and eighth-place finishes in 2007 and 2008.
• Carolina has won two tournaments, its first season with multiple victories since Ben Griffin and William Register were freshmen in 2014-15.
• Senior Ben Griffin earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors for the second time (2015 and 2018).
• UNC has finished in the top five in eight of 12 events this year. Carolina won the Tar Heel Intercollegiate on its home course (UNC Finley GC), setting a school record at 49 under par (275-270-270). UNC broke its 54-hole school record by 16 strokes; 49 under par was the second-lowest score to par in ACC history.
• The Tar Heels also won the Western Intercollegiate at Pasotiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Calif. UNC shot 14 under, 10 clear of runner-up California. Nationally-ranked Texas, Southern California and Stanford were also in the field.
• Griffin and seniors Jose Montaño and William Register have played in the Tar Heel lineup in all 12 tournaments. Sophomore Austin Hitt is in the lineup for the fifth straight tournament. Junior Joshua Martin is making his seventh start of the season and his second in a row.
CURRENT RANKINGS
Golfstat: UNC (16), Ben Griffin (65), Jose Montaño (93), William Register (108), Ryan Gerard (132), Austin Hitt (140), Joshua Martin (NR)
2018 NCAA KISSIMMEE REGIONAL
• Carolina placed fourth at the Watson Course at Reunion Resorts, shooting 21-under-843.
• The Tar Heels finished 21 shots behind regional champion Florida and four shots ahead of sixth-place Arizona, which was the highest finishing team not to advance to Stillwater.
• Carolina was tied for fifth place after each of the first two rounds and climbed as high as third in the final round before finishing fourth.
• Carolina shot 5 under in the first round, 6 under in the second and 10 under in the third and final round.
• All five Tar Heels shot under par in the third round, the first time ever UNC accomplished that in an NCAA regional round.
• Three Tar Heels finished in the top 25 – Austin Hitt tied for third at 10-under-206, Joshua Martin tied for 14th at 4-under-212 and Jose Montaño tied for 23rd at 3-under-213.
• Hitt shot 68-68-70 and set a UNC record for score to par in an NCAA regional at 10 under. The previous UNC record for a regional was 7 under by Martin Ureta in 2005.
• Hitt played the par 5s in 10 under par, second-best in the entire field. He averaged 4.17 strokes per par 5.
• Montaño and Hitt became the first Tar Heels to shoot in the 60s in three consecutive NCAA regional rounds. Montaño did that in the final two rounds in the 2017 Stanford Regional and the first round in Kissimmee; Hitt accomplished that in the third round at Stanford and the first two rounds in Kissimmee.
CAREER LEADERS
• Carolina's starters have five of the top-11 career stroke averages in Carolina men's golf history (minimum 20 tournaments).
• Griffin is UNC's all-time leader at 71.96 (10,147 strokes in 141 rounds over 48 tournaments).
• Montaño is second with an average of 72.14 in 70 rounds as a Tar Heel. He played his first two seasons of college golf at Xavier. His four-year combined career average in 134 rounds is 72.10.
• Register is third with an average of 72.16.
• Hitt is eighth with an average of 72.64 and Martin is 11th at 73.13.
SINGLE-SEASON STROKE AVERAGES
• Four of Carolina's starters enter the 2018 NCAA Championship with stroke averages this season under 72. They are among the 12-lowest stroke averages in UNC single-season history. UNC's seniors have three of the seven-lowest averages in school history.
• Griffin leads the team at 70.78, which is on pace to break his own school record, which he set at 71.06 as a freshman in 2014-15. Griffin, a recipient of a post-graduate scholarship from the Atlantic Coast Conference, is on pace to become the first player in Tar Heel history to post a career average under 72 and a single-season average under 71.
• Montaño is second on the team this season at 71.42, which is fourth-best in UNC history.
• Register is third at 71.58, which is the seventh-lowest stroke average in school history. Register also has the 10th-best mark at 71.63, which he set in 2014-15.
• Hitt is averaging 71.77, which is the 12th best in school history.
CAROLINA IN THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
• Carolina is playing in the NCAA Championship for the 44th time and the second time in as many years. The Tar Heels have 21 top-10 finishes, including six top-five finishes.
• Carolina's best finishes are a pair of second-places in 1953 and 1991, third in 1993, fourth in 1960 and 1984 and fifth in 1978.
• Harvie Ward won the NCAA title in 1949 in Ames, Iowa, and John Inman won in 1984 in Houston.
• Carolina's last top-10 individual finisher was Max Harris, who tied for sixth in 1999.
2017 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
• Carolina tied for 18th at 11 over par in UNC's first appearance in the NCAA Championship since 2007.
• Ben Griffin tied for 11th place at 2-under-286. He shot 70-72-72-72.
• Austin Hitt shot 69 in his third and final round and finished 1-over-217.
• Jose Montaño was 6 over and William Register was 10 over. Both shot 71 in the second round.
BEN GRIFFIN (Senior, Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Ranked No. 65 Golfstat
All-ACC in 2015 and 2018 • First Tar Heel to earn multiple All-ACC honors since Kevin O'Connell in 2008-09 • Honorable mention All-America in 2015 and 2017 • Carolina's all-time leader (71.96) and single-season leader (70.78 in 2017-18) in stroke average • Tied for 11th at 2017 NCAA Championship, shooting 70-72-72-72– 286 at Sugar Grove • Was Carolina's highest finish by an individual since 1999 • Has played 12 team events this season in 26 under par • Leads UNC this season in rounds under par (20), rounds in the 60s (12) and birdies (149) • Won three college tournaments – 2014 Tar Heel Intercollegiate, 2014 Bridgestone Collegiate at UNCG, 2017 Tar Heel Intercollegiate • Has 18 top 10s • Broke UNC 54-hole records for fewest strokes (197) and lowest score to par (-19) in winning the 2017 Tar Heel • Made 19 birdies in the Tar Heel • Career-best 63 in the final round at the Tar Heel is the second-best score in the ACC this season • Shot a final-round 68 and finished tied for third at -13 in November in the 2017 Andeavor Sun Bowl All-America Classic held at the El Paso Country Club • Is playing in his 49th team event for the Tar Heels • Was 2 over at the Kissimmee Regional – had shot in the 60s in six of his previous seven rounds • Made the ACC Honor Roll twice and is the athletic director's scholar-athlete for men's golf • Eighth at MacKenzie Tour qualifier in Florida in late March to earn a spot in the tour's first four events.
Jose Montaño (Senior, Cochabamba, Bolivia)
Ranked No. 93 Golfstat
Second on the team this season in stroke average at 71.42, the fourth best in UNC single-season history • Two-year stroke average at Carolina of 72.14 is second best in school history behind Griffin • Leads the Tar Heels this season with seven eagles and is second in birdies with 130 and cumulative score to par at 3 under • Became the first Tar Heel to ever shoot three consecutive rounds in the 60s in NCAA regional play (last two rounds at Stanford in 2017 and a 69 in first round in Kissimmee) • Shot 3 under in Kissimmee to tie for 23rd • Has shot under par in his last three events (-6 at the Western, -4 at ACCs and -3 at Kissimmee Regional) • Shot 64 and 65 in the final rounds in UNC's two wins this season • His 64 at the Tar Heel Intercollegiate was a career-best and capped a 54-hole career-best 202 • Made Carolina's only ace this year (at NC State) • Played two seasons at Xavier • Has played in 47 team events as a collegian – his score has counted in 116 of 120 rounds (96.7 percent of the time) • Has 16 career top-10 finishes and won three times (twice at Xavier, once as an individual entry at UNC) • Played in four NCAA regionals, shot under par in eight of 12 rounds and finished in the top 25 all four times • Shot 6-over-222 in 2017 NCAA Championship at Sugar Grove (71 in second round) • Academic All-ACC and Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar in 2017.
WILLIAM REGISTER (Senior, Burlington, N.C.)
Ranked No. 108 Golfstat
Playing in his 48th tournament as a Tar Heel • Third in career stroke average at Carolina (72.16) • Has the seventh- and 10th-best single-season stroke averages by a Tar Heel (71.58 this season and 71.63 as a freshman) • Two-time college winner as a freshman • Has eight top fives and 12 top-10 finishes as a Tar Heel • Two top-five finishes this season – tied for second at Sea Best and was third at NC State • Career-low 65 in winning at Primland in 2014-15 • Made the ACC Honor Roll three times and is a two-time Academic All-ACC • Won Carolina's McCaskill Award in 2018 – one of four senior student-athletes who received the award based on outstanding academics, athletics and service • Tied for ninth at MacKenzie Tour qualifier in Florida in late March to earn a spot in the tour's first four events.
AUSTIN HITT (Sophomore, Longwood, Fla.)
Rankings: No. 140 Golfstat
Season stroke average of 71.77 and career average of 72.64 • Career average is eighth best and season average is tied for 12th best at Carolina • Tied for third at the 2018 NCAA Kissimmee Regional after shooting 10-under-2016 (68-68-70) • Was 10 under on the par 5s in Kissimmee • Became the second Tar Heel to ever shoot three straight rounds in the 60s in NCAA regional play (67 in final round at Stanford in 2017) • Set career bests for score (206) and score to par (-10) • Was Carolina's best finish in a regional since 2002 and 10 under is the best ever by a Tar Heel in a regional • Third-place finish was his best career finish (previous were ties for sixth this year at NC State and the Lamkin San Diego Classic) • Has six top-20 finishes in 10 events this year, including four of his last five starts (T6 at Lamkin San Diego, T14 at John Hayt, T20 at the Western and T3 at Kissimmee) • Has shot at least one round in the 60s in six events with a season-low 66 in the second round at the John Hayt • Was Carolina's second-best finisher at the 2017 NCAA Championship at Sugar Grove shooting 71-77-69 for a 1-over-217.
JosHUA Martin (Junior, Pinehurst, N.C.)
Playing in his first NCAA Championship (made the trip to Sugar Grove last year as an alternate) • Averaged 72.33 strokes in nine events this season • Is 8 under in his last three tournaments (35 over in his first six events this season) • Playing in his 28th tournament for the Tar Heels • Eight career top 10s with a best finish of third at the Sea Best in 2015-16 • Shot below 71 in one of his first 18 rounds this year, and now six of his last nine rounds • Won a spot in the lineup for the Kissimmee Regional in a team qualifier, then tied for 14th at 4-under-212, Carolina's second-best finish in the regional • Opened the regional with two birdies on his first three holes before posting a 76 in the first round • Rebounded with a 69 in the second round and a team-best 67 in the decisive final round • Shot 30 over his first nine holes in the third round with birdies on six out of eight holes • The 67 tied his season-low round and was his fifth round in the 60s in his last three tournaments • The tie for 13th was his third straight top-20 performance – season-best T8 finish at John Hayt after back-to-back 69s in the final two rounds and tied for 16th at the Western with a 70-67-72 • His brother, Zach, was in the starting lineup at the 2017 NCAA Championship at Sugar Grove) • Career low round of 64 as a freshman at Sea Best.
RYAN GERARD (Freshman, Raleigh, N.C.)
Ranked No. 132 Golfstat
Six top-20 finishes in nine events with a season-best T6 at the John Hayt Collegiate in Ponte Vedra, Fla. • Also T7 at the John Burns in Hawai'i • Cracked the starting lineup for the first time in the second spring tournament (John Burns) • Led or tied for the best UNC finish in each of his first three starts – at the John Burns, Lamkin San Diego and John Hayt • Stroke average of 71.89 is 14th best in UNC history • Counting score in 13 of 15 rounds in the lineup • Shot a season-best 67 in the final round in the Tar Heel and the first round at Sea Best • Shot at or below par in 16 of 27 rounds • Shot 71-71 in the first two rounds in the ACC Tournament • Honorable mention Rolex Junior All-America.
2017-18 MISCELLANEOUS STATISTICS
Player Eagles Birdies Bogeys Doubles Others
Ryan Gerard 3 98 75 16 2
Ben Griffin 2 149 92 13 3
Austin Hitt 6 113 87 14 3
Joshua Martin 0 91 83 16 1
Jose Montaño 7 130 114 12 1
William Register 5 126 106 13 2
FALL 2018 SIGNEES
Ryan Burnett (Lafayette, Calif.), Luis Castro (Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Philippines) and Dougie Ergood (Mount Laurel, N.J.) signed National Letters of Intent in the fall of 2017 to attend the University of North Carolina and play men's golf for the Tar Heels.
• Burnett was named to the Toyota USA Junior World Cup team. The four-player squad will compete in Japan in June. Castro won the 2018 Philippine Junior Amateur Open. Ergood became the first scholastic player to repeat as medalist at the Garden State (N.J.) Cup.
2017 NCAA Championship
Rich Harvest Farms, Sugar Grove, Ill. – Par 72
T11 Ben Griffin 70-72-72-72 286 -2
T50 Austin Hitt 71-77-69 217 +1
T85 Jose Montaño 74-71-77 222 +6
T112 William Register 78-71-77 226 +10
154 Zach Martin 87-73-79 239 +23
T18 UNC 293-287-295 875 +11
Players Mentioned
