Alabama men’s golf competed in its second tournament of the season, the SEC Match Play, in Birmingham, Alabama, from Sept. 25 to 27. The tournament for the Crimson Tide was headlined by sophomore Nick Dunlap, who continued his dominant streak with a first-place finish in individual stroke play.
Dunlap secured the medalist honors on the back of his dominant 8-under performance in the final round on Tuesday. On the last hole of the third round, Dunlap sunk a 10-foot birdie putt, rising to first in the standings ahead of Vanderbilt’s superstar Gordon Sargent. Dunlap finished the tournament 14 under.
A Birmingham native, Dunlap said the win means a lot to him.
“It’s really cool,” Dunlap said. “I grew up here, I’ve played a lot of golf here. To come back down 6 to the best player in the world [Sargent] and to have the round of golf that I did on this golf course is special.”
Dunlap’s round was another consistency point for the sophomore, as the U.S. Amateur champion finished the tournament top five in overall birdies and bottom five in overall bogeys. With the victory, Dunlap was named the SEC Men’s Golfer of the Week.
Senior Canon Claycomb was the only other Alabama golfer to finish the individual stroke play with a total score under par. Claycomb finished 1 under, placing 33rd.
In the match play, the Crimson Tide failed to break into the championship match as it shot a team total of 9 under in the three rounds, which was eighth overall.
Alabama drew the Florida Gators for the penultimate match play sector of the tournament on Wednesday.
Entering the 17th tee box on Wednesday, sophomore Jonathan Griz was trailing by one hole. Griz then went on to win the final two, securing the winning point for the Crimson Tide.
Claycomb and Dunlap were the other two victors, lifting the Alabama team to a 3-2 win over Florida and an overall 7th place finish.
Head coach Jay Seawell said he is ecstatic about how his team progressed throughout the week.
“I’m really proud of how we responded today,” Seawell said. “We played a good Florida team.” “This team needed a spark and some confidence. I think we’re a great team, and I think we have the chance to do something really special.”
Next, the Crimson Tide will turn its focus to the Hamptons Intercollegiate in East Hampton, New York. The tournament will start Oct. 3.
