Clemson, SC—Lucas Augustsson and Rich Wills won singles matches, but it was not enough as ninth-ranked North Carolina defeated 32nd ranked Clemson 3-2 in the quarterfinals of the ACC Men’s Golf Championships at Sharks Tooth Golf Club in Panama City, FL on Sunday. The match came down to the last hole in the last match on the course.
The loss ends Clemson’s run at the ACC Championship. The Tigers will now await their NCAA Tournament regional site announcement on Wednesday, May 6 at 2 pm eastern time on Golf Channel. Clemson will enter the tournament with a 91-55-3 record in head-to-head tournament play this season.
Clemson finished sixth in stroke play at the ACC Championship and was one of eight teams to qualify for the match play tournament that will determine the champion. As the #6 seed, Clemson drew #3 seed and ninth ranked North Carolina in the quarterfinals.
North Carolina was the favorite in terms of national ranking, and tournament seed, and had a national ranking advantage in four of the five matches.
Only Augustsson entered his match with a better individual national ranking. The senior who transferred to Clemson two years ago from East Carolina, is ranked 112th in the nation, while his opponent Andrew Riley, is ranked 157th. Augustsson responded by taking a 3-up lead in the match through nine holes. Each player had the same score on each of the final seven holes, giving Augustsson a 3 &2 victory. Augustsson had five birdies and just one bogey for his 16 holes.
Wills won his singles match over Carson Bertagnole in an upset. Wills was ranked 327th in the nation entering the tournament and defeated the Tar Heel ranked 47th best in the nation. Wills jumped out to a 2-up lead through six holes. Bertagnole battled back to tie the match through eight, and it was still tied with four holes left. But, Wills won two of the next three to clinch a 2&1 victory. Wills never trailed in the match and finished with three birdies and three bogeys.
North Carolina’ Grant Roscich, ranked 74th in the nation, defeated Clemson’s Thomas Higgins, 16rd) at the number-three match, 4&2. Then Niall Shells Donegan, ranked 13th in the nation, downed Clemsosn’s Oscar Bredkjaer (180) 4&3.
The overall match came down to the last match on the course, the number-four match between Clemson’s Colin Salema and North Carolina’s Sihan Sandhu. Salema had a 1-up lead with three holes to play, but Sandhu won the seventh and eighth holes with birdies to take a 1-up lead. When the two players made par on the ninth hole, the 18th hole of the match, Sandhu and the Tar Heels had the victory.
North Carolina 3, Clemson 2
ACC Championship Quarterfinal Match
Shark’s Tooth Golf Course, Panama City, FL
#1 Lucas Augustsson (Clem) d. Andrew Riley (UNC), 3&2
#2 Rich Wills (Clem) d. Carson Bertagnole (UNC), 2&1
#3 Grant Roscich (UNC) d. Thomas Higgins (Clem), 4&2
#4 Sihan Sendhu (UNC) d. Colin Salema (Clem), 1-up
#5 Nialll Shells Donegan (UNC) vs. Oscar Bredkjaer (Clem), 4&3