Men's Golf Beats FSU, Wins ACC Championship

Monday, April 22

Charlotte, N.C. (Charlotte Country Club)

All Day

North Carolina

ACC Championship Semifinal & Final (Match Play)

2024 ACC Champions
University of North Carolina Men's Golf v Florida State
ACC Championship, Match Play
Charlotte Country Club
Charlotte, NC
Monday, April 22. 2024

2024 ACC Men's Golf Champions

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

April 22, 2024 | Men's Golf

By: Steve Kirschner

Senior Peter Fountain sank a par putt on the 17^th hole to win his match Monday and give the University of North Carolina its first Atlantic Coast Conference men's golf title since 2006.

Fountain, Austin Greaser and David Ford all won their respective matches 2&1 to lead the Tar Heels to a 3-1 win over Florida State at the Charlotte Country Club.

Earlier Monday, the Tar Heels defeated Wake Forest, 3-2, and the Seminoles blanked Georgia Tech, 3-0, in the semifinals.

All five Tar Heels in the lineup won points today with Greaser winning points in both matches. Maxwell Ford and Dylan Menante won their matches against the Demon Deacons and David Ford and Fountain put points on the board in the afternoon vs. the Seminoles.

The title is the first for seventh-year head coach Andrew DiBitetto and the seventh this season for UNC, which matches the school record set in 1982-83.

This is Carolina's 12^th ACC men's golf championship. The Tar Heels previously won in 1956, 1960, 1965, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1995, 1996 and 2006.

Q: When you saw Peter Fountain's putt go for the championship in what was your first thought?
Andrew DiBitetto: "It's always about the guys, I was just really happy for the guys. They're amazing young people and they just they put so much into it. That's the stuff people don't see. They put so much into being great. And then we also get to do life together. There's ups and downs and ebbs and flows. It's just nice to see them get rewarded for the way they go about their process literally every single day."

Q: How hard is it to win the ACC men's golf championship?
DiBitetto: "It is exceptionally hard. The conference is loaded with some of the best players, teams and coaches in the country. If you look at what we had to do this week, and especially today, getting through a very difficult, talented Wake Forest team, gritty, the shots they hit down the stretch. Tom (Haberer) nearly holes it on the par 3, number 17. Michael Brennan hits it to a foot on 18, which is a very difficult par 4. And then up next is Florida State, who's by far one of the best teams in the country, and just a very talented and deep lineup. The golf this afternoon was fantastic by both teams. And we're just fortunate to get out of here with a win.

Q: You beat Wake Forest 3-2 and FSU 3-1-1, and all five of your guys contributed points today. What does that say about this lineup?
DiBitetto: "It speaks volumes about the team we have. It's kind of the way we've done it all year. We don't really have a one and we definitely don't have a five. We just have a bunch of really, really, really good players. Usually, they're there to pick each other up. If someone's not having a great week, somebody else is having a great week. That's exactly what happened today. (Austin) Greaser won both of his matches. Maxwell (Ford) and Dylan (Menante) got it done this morning. And then David (Ford) and Pete (Fountain) step up big in the afternoon.

"The really cool part about all this was this morning, when I went up to shake Peter's hand (after he lost his semifinal match). The first thing out of his mouth was he said I want to anchor this afternoon. So, we made the switch in the lineup and we dropped him to the anchor spot and he delivered in a big way.

Q: Last year, when we left Pinehurst, Austin Greaser was in tears, he finished 58th. And this week, he finished third in stroke play and he wins both his matches. He's really grown up in his five years, hasn't he?

DiBitetto: "He's amazing. He's matured so much on and off the golf course.
He used to run really hot, he can still get hot at times, but overall, he's just really composed, he has so much courage. He's one of the most resilient young people I've ever been around. It's been remarkable to see his development as a player and as a human being over the course of five years.

Q: Finally, it wouldn't have mattered who made the putt to win the championship. But how about Peter Fountain making that putt?
DiBitetto: "It's just absolutely very fitting and perfect. He he bleeds Carolina blue. He's loved this school, this university, this golf program since he was in diapers. Again, he asked for it. He asked to be in the anchor spot. He makes an enormous 8-footer on 16 to stay 1 up. Then comes right back on 17 with another pretty difficult putt for the ACC championship, another five footer and drills it right in the center. It's a credit to him because he's dealt with some adversity this year, going back to the fall. He started the year not in our lineup for a couple tournaments and then he made a decision to just get in the dirt and work and work and work. The focal point of that work has been a short game. So, it kind of comes full circle. Now he has the confidence moving forward that he can do it in any situation."

ACC Championship Match
North Carolina 3, Florida State 1

Cole Anderson (FSU) def. Dylan Menante, 5&3
Austin Greaser (UNC) def. Gray Albright, 2&1
David Ford (UNC) def. Luke Clanton, 2&1
Maxwell Ford (UNC) vs. Frederik Kjettrup, unfinished (were tied on the 18^th hole when the match was clinched)
Peter Fountain (UNC) def. Brett Roberts, 2&1