After suffering heartbreak just a year ago in the NCAA Championship final against Oklahoma State, the Cavaliers cemented themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the ACC.
To the Cavaliers’ credit, they did not go quietly come day three. Duangmanee was resurgent in his final round, shooting a 65 with a five-birdie, bogey-free back nine. It was the best individual score of the tournament across the entire field.
Competing against a slate of eight ranked opponents at Southern Highlands Golf Club, three of which comprise the top-five programs in the country, No. 1 Virginia did more than justify its ranking — it reinforced its status as a legitimate title contender.
The Cavaliers now look ahead to a journey to Las Vegas, Nev. this upcoming weekend for the Southern Highlands Invitational hosted by UNLV — an event packed with top competition and the potential for major ranking implications if the Cavaliers were to turn in an uncharacteristic performance.
It was a stark contrast to last year's showing, where the team's lone highlight was a memorable hole-in-one. This time, Virginia dominated from wire to wire, shattering personal bests and rewriting the record books.
As a program coming off its first ACC title and NCAA runner-up finish, the Cavaliers’ approach to their mid-season break matters.
The East Lake Cup brought four of golf’s powerhouse programs together for a one-day individual stroke play event, followed by two days of team match play.
Virginia dominated the whole way in a large field.
Forgive Dr. Bob Rotella, the renowned sports psychologist, if the phone call has escaped his memory.
"For the first time ever" became the season's refrain.
Virginia made history, and then some more, before falling in the final.
Chang led wire-to-wire.
"We were dead," Sargent said. "We were beat."
Virginia won the stroke play for the first time ever.
Virginia performed strongly in its home tournament.
