While improving on a last place finish a year ago, the men's golf team could only manage fifth this weekend at the ACC Championships in New London, N.C. Clemson mounted a charge with six holes remaining to clip Wake Forest by a single stroke and take the championship.
The Blue Devil team was in fourth place after 18 holes but couldn't improve on their performance on a wet course in either of the ensuing two rounds.
"I felt like we did very well on the first rainy day," Leif Olson said.
Olson was the top finisher for the Blue Devils firing a four-over 220. The Duke senior ended the 54-hole event tied for 12th place overall.
"I hit the ball pretty well this week," Olson said. "My swing was good and I hit a lot of fairways. The putting was not the best part of my game this week."
Tom Lefebvre was Duke's second best competitor finishing in a tie for 17th. Sandwiched between rounds of 75 and 76 Friday and Sunday respectively, he shot an even par 72 Saturday.
Alex Wilson played consistent golf all weekend shooting rounds of 76, 74 and 76. Rob Beasley followed up two mediocre rounds with a solid 74 Sunday for Duke.
Freshman Nathan Smith had a disastrous 85 in his first round but rebounded well, shooting a pair of two-over 74s on the weekend.
North Carolina's Richard Treis won medalists honors at five-under-par. After playing great golf the first two days with rounds of 69 and 68, the North Carolina star struggled on the front nine Sunday. He played inconsistently all day with a total of seven bogies and five birdies, all on the final nine holes.
Wake Forest's Bill Haas was at three-under, and Troy Matteson and Jack Ferguson were at two-under, respectively, thus making them the only other competitors who finished under par for the weekend.
While it did not include the Blue Devils, the team title was one of the most exciting in the history of the tournament. Clemson shot the lowest round of the tournament on Sunday with a 285. Although he didn't know it at the time, Jack Ferguson's birdie on the final hole sealed the victory for Clemson.
Despite a lackluster performance, the Blue Devils feel like they are starting to hit their stride and look forward to the upcoming NCAA regional.
"I thought we hung in there for a good amount of the time. I felt like we are playing so much better than we were earlier in the spring."
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