Bama Central

Seniors Lead, But Alabama Men's Golf Season Comes to a Close

The Crimson Tide wasn't able to secure a spot in the match-play quarterfinals at the NCAA Championship.

Christopher Walsh

Alabama Athletics

The University of Alabama men's golf team team needed to score well, and also get some serious help for its season to continue past the final round of stroke play at the NCAA Championship. 

It did the former, but got nowhere near enough of the latter as the Crimson Tide wasn't able to secure a top-eight finish to advance to the match-play quarterfinals at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. Alabama shot the par-70 course at even-par on Monday, and at +21 finished 11th with top-seeded Vanderbilt (which shot the final round at +8). 

Alabama was led by its seniors during Monday's final round of stroke play. When Thomas Ponder wrapped up play his -4 was the second-best score in the clubhouse. At one point Canon Claycomb was at -5, thanks in part to an eagle on No. 11, but he finished -3. 

Freshman Nick Dunlap was +2, junior JP Cave +5, and freshman Jonathan Griz +6.

For the tournament, Dunlap was tied for 13th at even-par. Claycomb was tied for 22nd at +2. Ponder was tied for 58th at +10. Gritz was at +13, and Cave +14.  

The NCAA individual title was settled on Monday. The team finals will be Wednesday. 

North Carolina, Pepperdine, Florida and Illinois finished atop the team standings, with Georgia Tech, Florida State and Virginia also advancing. Host Arizona State and Stanford were both +12 and had to go back out on the course for a playoff to determine the final quarterfinal spot.

This story will be updated when the fourth round is completed.  

SEE ALSO: Live Updates, Alabama Men's Golf in NCAA Championships (Stroke Play)

Published
Christopher Walsh
CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of BamaCentral, which first published in 2018. He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004, and is the author of 26 books including Decade of Dominance, 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Nick Saban vs. College Football, and Bama Dynasty: The Crimson Tide's Road to College Football Immortality. He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.

Home/All Things Bama