North Carolina State University Athletics
Old & New: Wolfpack Finishes Second At ACC Championships
4/21/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
April 21, 2002
Uwharrie Point, N.C.- NC State Men's Golf team kept up the stellar play on the links with a second place finish at the ACC Championships. NC State cut a 12-stroke deficit to Georgia Tech in the second round to just four in the final round as NC State finished strong at the Old North State and fell just shy of their second ACC Championship in school history. NC State fired a 14-under-par 274 in the final round for the lowest final round score and the second lowest of the tournament behind Georgia Tech's 271 first round total. The second place finish was the highest finish for the Wolfpack in an ACC Championship since grabbing a share of the ACC Championship title with Clemson in 1990. NC State, ranked 19th in the last Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings, defeated the nation's number two and three golf teams in Clemson and Wake Forest.
Senior Garth Mulroy, playing in his second and final ACC Championship of his career, was brilliant for Coach Richard Sykes by shooting a 73-68-67=208 (-8) for a share of fourth place individually. The 67 was the lowest score in the final round for any golfer at the Old North State. Mulroy fired two rounds in the 60's in the same tournament for the second time this season, the first coming in the first tournament of the fall at the Mason Rudolph Collegiate. He saved his best for last by firing a career best 67 in the final round of his final tournament before the NCAA Regional. His previous best was 68, which he has shot seven total times in his career and four times this season. Mulroy's tournament total of 208 is tied for the ninth lowest tournament total in school history.
After only one top-20 finish in his freshman season in 2002, Rodney Thomas exploded by tying for sixth at the ACC Championships with a 70-71-68=209 (-7), the fifth lowest tournament total of the year for the Wolfpack, and a mark that stands tied for 10th in NC State history. After matching his season low round of 70 (at the par 70 Legends Club Course during the Mason Rudolph Collegiate) on Friday, Thomas bettered that mark with his four-under-par 68 in the final round. The three-rounds-under-par gave Thomas five rounds under-par on the season as he fired multiple under-par rounds in the same tournament for the first time.
Junior sensation Justin Walters finished 14th with a final tally of 74-71-68=213 (-3), marking his fourth straight top-20 finish and breaking his string of three-straight top-10 finishes. His first round 74 at the ACC Championship is the highest round that Walters has shot since his second round 75 at the Las Vegas Intercollegiate on March 9th, and only the second round over-par in his last 13 rounds of golf. Walters owns a stroke average of 69.5 over his last 13 rounds of golf and has won two tournament titles this year. He has carded nine rounds in the 60's this season to lead the team and holds nine of the 20 best rounds scored for the Wolfpack, included a team best 65, the second lowest round in school history.
Sophomore Fernando Mechereffe carded a 75-69-71=215 (-1) to finish tied for 17th for his third top-20 finish. Mechereffe is fourth on the team with eight rounds-under-par for the year. Mechereffe was 35th after his opening round 75 but finished strong at four-under-par for the last two rounds.
Jason Moon finished tied for 32nd with a 71-72-79=222 (+6). He is third on the team with 11 rounds under-par and tied for first with four rounds at even-par.
NC State is awaiting a bid to a NCAA Regional and Mulroy and Walters are also awaiting possible All-American bids. If either golfer is honored as an All-American, it will continue a streak of six straight seasons that NC State has had at least one All-American golfer. NC State has also participated in all 13 NCAA Regionals since the format was implemented in 1989 and has won one regional title in 1996 as three-time All-American Tim Clark won individual honors.
T 4 Garth Mulroy 73 68 67 208 -8 T 6 Rodney Thomas 70 71 68 209 -7 14 Justin Walters 71 72 68 213 -3 T 17 Fernando Mechereffe 75 69 71 215 -1 T 32 Jason Moon 74 71 79 222 +61. Georgia Tech 271-284-282- 837 (-27) 2. NC State 288-279-274- 841 (-23) 3. Clemson 280-280-285- 845 (-19) 4. Wake Forest 290-279-282- 851 (-13) 5. North Carolina 283-285-294- 862 (-2) 6. Florida State 292-282-294- 868 (+4) 7. Virginia 291-295-288- 874 (+10) 8. Maryland 294-296-285- 875 (+11) 9. Duke 291-298-289- 878 (+14)
