UNCW Holds off Elon Charge to Win 2023 CAA Men’s Golf Championship
Miles McQuiggan
Results | Championship Central
SAINT HELENA ISLAND, S.C. (April 25, 2023) – UNCW held a 16-shot lead to begin the final round of the 2023 CAA Men’s Golf Championship and withstood an outstanding Tuesday performance from Elon as UNCW won its eighth CAA title, matching the league record in championships.
UNCW won the title by nine strokes over Elon, which was 10-under on the tournament’s final day and, like the Seahawks, 16-under over the final 36 holes. UNCW’s
Patrick Sparks collected medalist honors at 11-under, the best performance in UNCW’s CAA Championship history. Three Seahawks cracked the top 10 with Sparks first,
Walker Isley (-4) tied for third, and
Rune Bokeid (-1) alone in seventh.
Elon was in striking distance thanks to some strong performances Tuesday with all four scoring Phoenix under par;
Juan Callejo was 4-under,
Bronson Myers carded a 3-under showing,
Landon Durham was 2-under Tuesday, and
Matt Doyle was 1-under. Doyle tied for third and Durham for fifth at the Championship, while all five Phoenix were 13
th or better.
Drexel was third with runner-up
Drue Nicholas (-7) leading the way, while Charleston and William & Mary tied for fourth with one top-10 from each team (Charleston’s
Kieron van Wyk at 2-under and William & Mary’s
Trevor Binau at even par.) Delaware placed sixth with
Jack Halleron (+2) in the top 10, Towson was seventh, Monmouth eighth and North Carolina A&T ninth in their CAA Championship debuts, and Hofstra 10
th.
UNCW’s title is its first since going back-to-back in 2018 at Lonnie Poole Golf Course in Raleigh and 2019 at Pinehurst No. 8. The eight conference titles match VCU for the most in CAA history.
Sparks and Nicholas were tied in leading the field with 16 birdies each; Callejo carded a pair of eagles, including the final hole of the Championship.
The 2023 Championship was the third played at the Dataw Island Club in South Carolina and the first on the combination of the Morgan River and Cotton Dike Courses. Competitors played the back nines of the two courses.
UNCW will learn its NCAA Regional destination when the field is announced Wednesday, May 3 at 1 p.m. on GOLF Channel.
2023 CAA Men’s Golf Championship
Dataw Island – Morgan River/Cotton Dike Course – Saint Helena Island, S.C.
Par-72 – 6,998 yards
1. UNCW 289-273-287=849
2. Elon 298-282-278=858
3. Drexel 285-293-294=872
t4. Charleston 291-288-299=878
t4. William & Mary 296-290-292=878
6. Delaware 300-291-293=884
7. Towson 307-291-313=911
8. Monmouth 313-299-317=929
9. North Carolina A&T 302-309-320=931
10. Hofstra 316-315-338=969
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