Hokie ClubThe Virginia Tech men’s golf team posted a two-round total of 15-under 561 on Saturday and is in fourth place entering the final round of the Tar Heel Intercollegiate. The two-day event is being played at the par 72, 7,349-yard UNC Finley Golf Course.
Tech posted a season-best 17-under 271 in the morning round and followed that with a 290 in the afternoon. All five Hokie starters shot under par in the morning round.
Connor Burgess, a freshman from Lynchburg, Virginia, leads the Hokies with a 6-under 138 and is tied for seventh place individually. He is eight strokes behind leader Ben Griffin of North Carolina.
Sarit Suwannarut, a sophomore from Bangkok, Thailand and Ian Hildebrand, a senior from Purcellville, Virginia, are tied for 21st place at 141. Blake Fiest, a junior from Huntersville, Virginia is tied for 27th place at 142 and Mark Lawrence, a junior from Richmond, Virginia is tied for 37th at 144. All five starters are par or better.
Two Hokies are playing the tournament as individuals. Slade Pickering, a freshman from North West, South Africa is tied for 37th at 144 and Tom Crow, a sophomore from Virginia Beach, Virginia, is tied for 71st at 154.
Host North Carolina leads at 31-under 545, six strokes ahead of Jacksonville. Campbell is third at 558, three strokes ahead of the Hokies and four strokes ahead of Coastal Carolina. Boston College is sixth at 563, UNC Wilmington is seventh at 565 and UNC Greensboro and Maryland are tied for eighth at 568. VCU is 10th at 574, Gardner-Webb is 11th at 576 and Furman is 12th at 585.
The final round will be played Sunday morning, with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. The Hokies will be grouped with Coastal Carolina and Boston College. Live scoring will be available on the men’s golf schedule page of Hokiesports.com, via a link from Golfstat.com.