Men's Golf | 10/27/2021 11:27:00 PM
BERLIN, Md. – Diego Gonzalez (SR, Caracas, Venezuela) continued his superb play throughout the fall semester, winning the individual title at the UMES Collegiate Golf Challenge hosted by Maryland Eastern Shore at the par-73, 6,713-yard Ocean City Golf & Yacht Club golf course on Wednesday.
Gonzalez's 54-hole, 3-under 215 helped the North Carolina A&T men's golf team win the Challenge for the second time in three seasons. As a team, the Aggies shot a 24-over 896.
For Gonzalez, it is his second career tournament win after he won the UMES Challenge in 2018. A North Carolina A&T men's golfer has won the individual crown at a tournament three times since the program started in 2017. Gonzalez owns two of those crowns.
Gonzalez was one of five Aggies to finish in the top-10. Virginia Union's Hayden Garcia (218, E), N.C. Central's Daniel Barbare (218, E), Virginia Union's Alkin Barkley (222, 4-over) and UMES' Logan Kiley (223, 5-over) rounded out the top-5.
The Aggies won the tournament by four strokes Virginia Union (900). NCCU finished at a distant third (926), followed by UMES (927) and Chowan (958).
Gonzalez finished a tournament in the red for the second time this season following his record-breaking performance at the Phoenix Invitational, where he carded a three-round 5-under 205. His performance at the Phoenix Invite earned Big South golfer of the week honors.
On Wednesday, his third-round card consisted of six birdies. After bogeying the par-3, No. 2, to move to even par for the tournament, he birdied three of his next four holes to move 3-under. He did bogey the par-3, No. 8. But he proceeded to earn birdies on the par-4, No.11, and the par-5, 13th to reach 4-under for the tournament.
On holes 15-17, he went bogey, birdie, bogey before a par on the par-4, 18th ended his tournament efforts at 3-under.
To hold off the charging Virginia Union Panthers, Gonzalez got help from his teammates. Diego Gonzalez Sanchez (SR, San Luis Potosi City, Mexico), Anthony Ford (SO, Atlanta, Ga.), Xavier Williams (SR, Boling Springs, N.C.) and Martin Gutierrez (SO, Madrid, Spain) finished seventh, eighth and 10th. Ford and Williams finished in an eighth-place tie.
Sanchez entered the third round at 11-over but caught fire in the third round. He recorded four birdies and two bogeys in Round 3 to finish at 2-under and 9-over 227 for the tournament. Ford continued to show his vast improvement.
After shooting a career-low round of 74 at Grandover last week, Ford topped that by shooting 72 in Maryland on Wednesday. He even carded his first career eagle on the par-5, No. 3, at the Ocean City Golf & Yacht Club course. He also had three birdies on his card as he finished the round at 1-under. He posted a 10-over 228 for the tournament.
Williams also shot 10-over 228 for the tournament. His third-round card consisted of five birdies. However, Williams did counter that with a double bogey on the par-5, 5th.
Gutierrez finished with a 12-over 230. He shot 2-over for the third round, leaving three birdies on his card.
The Aggies ended an eventful semester with their victory on Wednesday. It was a semester that included Gonzalez and Williams both earning Big South golfer of the week honors. The men's golf team also gained national notoriety as former NBA star JR Smith made his collegiate debut for the Aggies at the Phoenix Invitational.
A&T does not return to action until March 14-15, when they head to Myrtle Beach, S.C, to participate in Appalachian State's Bash at the Beach tournament.
