Burnett, Ford Lead Tar Heels In Rd 1

Friday, May 27

Scottsdale, Ariz. (Grayhawk G.C.)

All Day

North Carolina

NCAA Championship Day One

May 27, 2022 | Men's Golf

NCAA Rd 1

Carolina 7th After 18 Holes On Challenging Grayhawk Course

By: Steve Kirschner

Senior Ryan Burnett and freshman David Ford led North Carolina with a pair of 1-over-par 71s in round one of the 2022 NCAA Men's Golf Championship Friday at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Tar Heels compiled the third-best round among the 15 teams that played in the afternoon wave and are seventh overall in the 30-team field after 18 holes. Carolina shot 8-over 288 with Ryan Gerard and Austin Greaser posting 73s and Peter Fountain's 75.

Vanderbilt leads at 2-over 282. Oregon and Auburn are tied for second at 5 over, Kansas and Arizona are tied for fourth at 6 over, Oklahoma is sixth at 7 over, the Tar Heels are in seventh place, Oklahoma State is eighth one behind Carolina and Arizona State and Liberty are tied for ninth at 10 over.

No. 3 seed Vanderbilt, No. 1 OU, No. 5 UNC, No. 2 Oklahoma State and No. 4 Arizona State all played in the afternoon when the temperature topped 100 degrees and the greens firmed up. Oregon, Auburn, Kansas and Arizona all began play Friday before 7 a.m.

The teams switch tee times in Saturday's second round with the Tar Heels beginning play at 6:32 a.m. local time.

Harry Hillier of Kansas and Brendan Valdes of Auburn share the individual lead at 2-under 68. Burnett and Ford are tied for 15^th three strokes behind the day-one leaders.

Burnett led the entire field with 16 pars. He double-bogeyed the par-4 seventh hole for his only blemish of the day but immediately answered that with a birdie 2 on the eighth hole.

Ford led Carolina with four birdies, all on the front side. He was 3-under through four holes after consecutive birdies on two, three and four, but played the final six holes of the round in 3 over par.