North Carolina defends Tar Heel title for 1st season victory

With steady play, North Carolina managed to win the title at the Tar Heel Intercollegiate, its home tournament. The home team was the only team under par after 54 holes at UNC Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, N.C., but only barely. North Carolina had a 1-under 288 team total in the first round, followed by even-par totals the next two days.

It’s the second consecutive year that North Carolina has won its home event. Though Sunday’s scoring wasn’t outrageous, it was a feat in high winds. Only North Carolina-Greensboro and Michigan posted a better score in the final round.

"The teams we were playing with are some of the better teams in the country," Tar Heel head coach Andrew DiBitetto said. "I am just really proud of our guys for the way they competed, the way they fought and to pick up the victory."

The Tar Heel marked North Carolina’s first win after back-to-back fourth-place finishes to start the spring. It’s the first win of the season, period. North Carolina is No. 30 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings.

While a Tar Heel didn’t win the individual title, one did finish runner-up. Austin Hitt, who paced the North Carolina for the weekend with a 3-under par total, landed in a three-way tie for second place. Illinois' Adrien Dumont de Chassart ran away with the individual title, posting rounds of 69-68-79 to reach 9 under and lead the second-place Illini.

This is the second week that Hitt has been in the top 5.

"I didn't have my best stuff, but I was able to get around and put up a good score," Hitt said. "I was just trying to win it for the team and the seniors with it being their last time playing here. It was a good weekend."

Information from North Carolina Athletics used in this report