In the transformed pine scrub of Calusa Pines Golf Club in Naples, Fla., eight teams battled for the title in a three-day, 54-hole tournament. The Calusa Cup, hosted by Iowa, featured No. 2 Virginia’s final road tournament of the season on one of the premier courses in the United States.
Notable for its man-made ridges, flat land enhanced by native vegetation and pristine lakes which required the excavation of 72 acres, Calusa is a thrilling piece of land to play golf.
For the Cavaliers, it was a highly productive business trip. Despite placing seventh out of eight teams after the first round Sunday on six-over-par shooting, Virginia surged Monday and Tuesday — the Cavaliers shot a 17-stroke upgrade thanks to graduate student Paul Chang’s career-best round of 65. Virginia jumped four positions on the team leaderboard, and Chang propelled his position from tied at 14th to tied at second place.
The No. 2-ranked team in the nation showed no signs of slowing down in the final 18 holes Tuesday.
After an 11-under-par showing in the second round, the Cavaliers exploded once again — Virginia shot 13-under-par while Chang, senior Bryan Lee and freshman Michael Lee all clutched top-10 individual performances. Michael Lee carded a career-best outing of 66, reaching a tie for seventh place overall. Bryan Lee finished five-under-par with an even third round, recording his fifth top-10 performance of the season.
Junior Josh Duangmanee and freshman Alex Wells rounded out the Cavaliers’ scoring with five over par and 18 over par, respectively. Duangmanee finished tied for 25th, while Wells closed at 39th.
Virginia finished Tuesday in second place at 18-under-par. No. 3 Florida concluded the Calusa Cup 22-under-par, shooting under par all three rounds — including an eruption of 14-under-par in the second round Monday. Purdue capped off the podium at third place, finishing nine-under-par.
Perhaps most impressively, Chang went 41 straight holes bogey-free at Calusa Pines to earn individual medalist honors by four strokes over Iowa’s Ryan Shellberg and South Florida’s Wilhelm Ryding. That consistency drove the Cavaliers to a runner-up finish, eliminating the brash six-over-par start. Virginia also performed at a high level without its No. 2-ranked individual, senior Ben James.
As the ACC and NCAA tournaments draw near, No. 2 Virginia continues to showcase a level of depth, precision and morale that signals a team reaching a new echelon. With consistent lineups and multiple players capable of carding exceptional lows, this team has all the pieces to go the distance. Now, the test lies in finishing the regular season strong with the same poise that has fueled its rise.
Next, No. 2 Virginia comes home to Charlottesville to host the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial at Birdwood Golf Club from April 13-14, including a practice round Sunday, April 12. Players tee off at 8:30 a.m., and admission is free.
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