Men's Golf | 4/25/2023 7:39:00 PM
BEAUFORT, SC – North Carolina A&T completed play in its first-ever Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Men's Golf Championship on Tuesday, with the Aggies finishing in ninth place at the par-72, 6,998-yard Dataw Island – Morgan River/Cotton Dike course.
The Aggies started the tournament in seventh place before dropping to eighth place after Monday's play, shooting a 21-over 309. On Tuesday, they closed the tournament by shooting a 32-over 320 for a three-round score of 67-over 931. UNC Wilmington claimed the CAA title by shooting a three-round 15-under 849. The Seahawks held off a charge from runner-up Elon who shot a third-round 10-under 278 to finish with a three-day total of 6-under 858. Drexel rounded out the top-3 with an 8-over 872.
During the second round on Saturday, freshman Samuel Drew Walker saw his streak of shooting even par or better in a round come to an eight straight after shooting a 1-over 73. The streak did not come to an end easily, however.
Walker started his second round with a par and a birdie on the par-5, 528-yard second. But he double-bogeyed the par-4 third before bogeying the par-4 fourth. Walker did recover to birdie the par-3, 202-yard sixth. But by bogeying the par-5 eighth and the par-4 ninth, he made the turn at 3-over.
He made a charge on the back nine to keep the streak alive. He started by birdieing No. 10, a 402-yard par-4. He regressed with a bogey on the par-4 11th, but he carded pars on the next four holes to remain at 3-over for the round and even par for the back nine. Walker then made his move by placing a two on his card from the par-3, 187-yard 16th.
He moved to 1-over on the day with a three on the par-4, 432-yard 17th. That gave him a chance to get to even par by birdieing the 558-yard par-5 18th. But Walker needed five strokes to complete the hole with a par. He did shoot 2-under on the back nine to finish in a tie for 12th after Round 2 with a 1-over 145.
But on Tuesday, he shot a season-high 81 to finish the tournament in a four-way tie for 27th at 10-over 226. Walker made 10 birdies for the tournament.
Carson Witherspoon played steadily throughout the second round. He had a bogey on the par-4 first and a double bogey on the par-4 fourth. However, he parred the other 16 holes to finish the second round with a 75. Witherspoon finished in a four-way tie for 24th. But he shot an 83 on Tuesday to finish with a three-round 16-over 232 to place 36th.
Diego Gonzalez finished one place below Witherspoon in a three-way tie for 37th. He shot an 81 on Monday before closing out the final conference tournament of his career with a 6-over 78. He had three third-round birdies. It was mixed in with a triple bogey and two double bogeys.
Conrado Chozas finished his first career tournament with a 28-over 244. His best round came on Tuesday with a 78. Martin Gutierrez finished with a 258. A&T will conclude its season May 8-10 at the PGA Works Championship in Birmingham, Ala.
