Men's Golf Ousted In ACC Semifinals

Sunday, April 24

Panama City Beach, Fla. (Shark's Tooth G.C.)

All Day

North Carolina

ACC Championship Match Play Semifinals

April 24, 2022 | Men's Golf

David Ford Wins Match, 4&3

By: Steve Kirschner

ACC Semifinal vs. Wake Forest
April 24, 2022

North Carolina freshman David Ford won his match 4&3 but Wake Forest won three of the other four matches, two by a single hole, to defeat the top-seeded Tar Heels, 3-1-1, on Sunday to advance to the finals of the ACC Men's Golf Championship at Shark's Tooth Golf Course in Panama City Beach, Fla.

The fourth-seeded Deacons will play second-seed Georgia Tech Monday morning in the championship match. The Yellow Jackets eliminated No. 3 Florida State, 3-1-1, Sunday in the other semifinal.

The seeds were determined through three rounds of stroke play Friday and Saturday. The Tar Heels were the top finisher in the 12-team field in stroke play at 35 under par. Georgia Tech was second at 26 under, FSU was third at -19 and the Deacons were fourth at 17 under.

Wake Forest's Mark Power defeated Austin Greaser on the 19th hole, Alex Fitzpatrick beat Peter Fountain 3&1 and Michael Brennan won the 17th hole to edge Ryan Burnett, 1 up, for the Demon Deacons' three points.

Ford and Parker Gillam were even through eight before the Tar Heel won four of the next six holes, including wins on 12, 13 and 14.

Greaser led by three holes through 11 before Power won the next three holes to draw even. The match remained tied over the final four holes of regulation before Power won the extra hole with a birdie 3 back at the opening hole. It was the first time Power held a lead in the match.

Burnett rallied to tie his match with Brennan three different times on the back nine, but Brennan went ahead by winning the 17th hole and closed out the match with a half on 18.

Fountain, who tied for first place in stroke play at 13 under par (the lowest score to par by a Tar Heel in ACC Tournament history) took the lead over Fitzpatrick on the third hole and maintained that advantage through the ninth hole. Fitzpatrick evened the match on 10, took the lead for good on 13 and won four of the final five holes to close out the match on 17.

UNC's Ryan Gerard and Scotty Kennon were tied after 17 holes and didn't contest the final hole. Gerard trailed from the fourth hole but finally pulled even on the 17th hole.

The Tar Heels will return to competition on May 16-18 in an NCAA regional. The teams and regional sites will be announced on Wednesday, May 4, at 4 p.m. on the Golf Channel.