NC State men’s golf faced harsh challenges at the ACC Championships, finishing in 11th place and failing to qualify for match-play after tough competition at Shark’s Tooth Golf Club in Panama City Beach, Florida.
The Wolfpack showed promise early, standing at a competitive one-over-par and sixth place after round one. But as the championship progressed, NC State slipped down the leaderboard, ultimately falling outside the necessary cutoff for the high-stakes match-play rounds.
Senior Evan Woosley-Reed and redshirt-senior Markus Varjun led the Pack’s efforts, each tying for 22nd in individual stroke play. Woosley-Reed made a strong push in the final round, shooting an impressive four-under-par 68 to climb the ranks. Meanwhile, Varjun gained notice early with a spectacular eagle on hole 13 in round one and steadied his performance across the tournament.
Unfortunately, not all performances matched those highs. Sophomore standout Xander Goboy crashed from 10th place after round one to 62nd overall, derailed by a poor showing in the later rounds. Similarly, redshirt sophomore transfer Rylan Shim struggled on the final day, posting five bogeys and a double bogey that dropped him to 41st place.
Pearce Lewin, a sophomore transfer from Tennessee, managed a resilient finish, ending 33rd with a final round of one-over-par. Lewin moved from a consistent national golf program to NC State this year, though both schools missed match-play cuts in their respective conference championships.
This outcome is a setback for a team that has faced nationally ranked competition all season. The ACC Championships field was stacked with five teams in the top 25 and 12 in the top 50 nationally, highlighting the difficult environment for the Wolfpack.
Despite their early promise, NC State will now shift focus to the NCAA Championship regional fields announcement, scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on May 6 during the NCAA Selection Show on Golf Channel. The Pack’s placement here will determine their next stage in the postseason battle.
Golf fans across Alabama and the Southeast will be watching closely to see where NC State lands, as the stakes rise with the upcoming national tournament. The team’s resilience to regroup after this 11th-place finish will be critical moving forward.
“While we had a strong start, consistency down the stretch was the difference,” one team source said. “We’re ready to refocus for the NCAA regionals.”
The ACC Championships demonstrated the Wolfpack’s potential, but also the challenges of competing at the highest collegiate level. Their 11th-place finish amid such fierce competition underscores the tough road ahead as they chase a late spring postseason run.
Stay tuned for real-time updates on NC State’s NCAA Regional placement and more on Alabama-focused college sports coverage at The Alabama Report.
