UNCW won the 2023 CAA Men’s Golf Championship on April 25th, earning their eighth title in the tournament’s history. They beat Elon by nine strokes, both teams scoring an impressive 16-under in the final 36 holes. Patrick Sparks of UNCW received the medalist honour, achieving a career-best performance and a new record in UNCW’s CAA Championship history with an impressive score of 11-under.
The Dataw Island club in South Carolina hosted the championship, where players competed on the Morgan River and Cotton Dike courses. Elon had a strong chance of winning, with their four scorers each recording under-par performances on the final day. Juan Callejo particularly stood out, shooting an impressive 4-under. Bronson Myers, Landon Durham, and Matt Doyle also contributed with 3-under, 2-under, and 1-under, respectively. Doyle tied for third place, and Durham secured fifth place in the Championship. Overall, all five Phoenix players finished in the top 13 positions.
The UNCW team won their first championship victory since winning consecutive titles in 2018 and 2019. They are now tied with VCU for the most CAA Men’s Golf Championship titles. The location for UNCW’s NCAA Regional will be revealed on May 3rd, and the Seahawks are anticipated to perform well at the competition.
UNCW dominated the tournament with a 16-stroke lead going into the final round on Wednesday. They even tied the conference championship record by scoring an impressive 15-under-par in the second round, surpassing James Madison’s previous record during the 2017 championship in Midlothian, Va. Additionally, the Seahawks broke their school tournament record with a score of 273 strokes in the second round, beating their previous record of 281 strokes set during the Drexel and Charleston matchups.
During the tournament, junior golfer Sparks gave an impressive performance, setting a new record for UNCW with a score of 67. The previous record was established in 2013 and matched in 2016. Sparks achieved seven birdies during the round, equalling his last score of 65 in 2022. Other notable performances included freshman Rune Bokeid, who finished fifth with a score of 142, and Walker Isley, who tied for sixth with a score of 143. Isley’s remarkable performance included an eagle on the second hole and six birdies throughout the round, allowing him to climb 18 spots in the rankings. Bokeid also set a new personal record with a score of seven under on Monday.
