UNCG Men’s Golf to Compete in NCAA Regionals
GREENSBORO, N.C. – For the second consecutive year, the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men’s golf team will compete in the NCAA Regionals. The Spartans will compete in the three-round regional tournament at The University of Texas Golf Club in Austin, Texas from Monday, May 13 to Wednesday, May 15.
Course: The University of Texas Golf Club | Austin, Texas
Par/Yardage: Par-71/7,399 yards
Format: Six 54-hole regional tournaments will be conducted to determine the 30 qualifying teams and six individuals (not on those qualifying teams) who will compete in the finals.
Lineup for UNCG: Symon Balbin, Randall Hudson, Noah Connor, Kelvin Hernandez and Tommy Lamb
The 13 teams in the Regional include: (in order of rankings): (1) Tennessee, (2) Arkansas, (3) Texas (host), (4) Georgia, (5) Wake Forest, (6) Notre Dame, (7) UNC Greensboro, (8) Brigham Young (9) Utah, (10) San Jose State (11) Grand Canyon (12) Arkansas State, and (13) Kansas City.
Rundown on the Spartans:
The Spartans earned the seventh seed to the NCAA Regionals.
This season, the Spartans won two regular season tournaments in the Bryan National Collegiate and the Dorado Beach Collegiate. In addition, UNCG had eight top-5 and nine top-10 tournament finishes including The Southern Conference (SoCon) Tournament this season.
This is the fifth time in the Division I era that a UNCG team has received a bid to an NCAA Regional, while it is the eighth time overall as three individuals have made appearances as well.
The Spartans had three earn SoCon postseason recognitions. Kelvin Hernandez was named the SoCon Freshman of the Year and to the All-Freshman Team, while Symon Balbin and Randall Hudson were selected to the All-SoCon Team.
Balbin paces the Spartans with a 71.09 scoring averaging, coming in at fifth in the SoCon.
Hudson follows just behind Balbin with a 71.56 average.
Last time out:
UNCG finished third at the 2024 SoCon Championship behind an eight-under-par (834) with rounds of 290-283-283.
As a team, the Spartans finished the three-round tournament with 169 pars, 49 birdies and two eagles.
UNCG’s third place finish was its best placing at the SoCon Championship since earning second place in the 2021-22 season.
Two Spartans finished in the top-10 in this year’s conference tournament. The 2021-22 season was also the last time two Spartans finished in the top-10 of the leaderboard for UNCG.
Balbin finished atop the leaderboard for the Spartans after pacing the squad all three days. The Pinehurst, N.C., native finished in a tie for sixth place with a six-under-par (210).
Hudson came in behind Balbin with a ninth-place finish totaling two-under-par (214).
Last time at NCAA Regionals
The Spartans earned ninth place at the 2023 NCAA Regionals at Bear’s Best Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nev.
UNCG carded a 28-under-par (836) after recording rounds of 276-279-281.
UNCG alum, Nick Lyerly led the Spartans last season with a 13-under-par (203) behind a final round of eight-under-par (64).
Balbin finished in a tie for 14th place with an 11-under-par (205). Balbin’s best score came in the second round with a six-under-par (66).
Up next:
Following 54 holes of competition, the top 15 teams along with the top nine individuals not on an advancing team will advance for one additional day of stroke play to determine the top eight teams for match-play competition and the 72-hole stroke-play individual champion. The top eight teams after 72 holes of play will be placed into a bracket thereafter. The 2024 NCAA Championships will be hosted by the University of Texas at Austin and held at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa.
Courtesy of Emma White
Strategic Communications Coordinator
UNC Greensboro