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One week after N.C. State sent its women’s golf team down to the Caribbean, the men’s team returned from Rio Grande, P.R. with another successful trip.
Using a 9-under 279 Tuesday morning, the Wolfpack finished the Puerto Rico Classic in fifth place and ran past No. 1 Texas, No. 21 Oklahoma State, No. 26 Georgia and No. 34 Oklahoma in the process.
Among ACC schools competing, the Pack’s 1-over tournament total defeated Virginia Tech (3-over) by two strokes and North Carolina (51-over) by 52 strokes.
Hosting State golf for the second time this month, the Rio Mar Country Club allowed for great scoring opportunities.
Sophomore All-American Albin Choi was one of four Pack players who finished under-par for their respective rounds Tuesday, as he completed the second of back-to-back 69s. The native of Toronto ended up in a tie for 12th at 2-under 214. A winner of three individual tournaments in his collegiate career, Choi has finished in top-20 for 14 of 18 events.
Helping manufacture the 21 birdies State had, senior Graham Baillargeon shot an even-par 216 for the tournament, which is his best score relative to par since he arrived to Raleigh last year.
Recovering from a wrist injury, junior All-American Mitch Sutton rebounded from an opening round 78 to tie for 37th at 5-over par. Sutton concluded the final 36 holes in 1-under.
Senior Chad Day tied his best-ever round at State by posting a 3-under 69. Finishing in a tie for 14th, Day notched his best overall tournament ranking since the Wolfpack Intercollegiate in the fall of 2010.
Alabama was the winner of the Puerto Rico Classic, concluding the event at 30-under. Clemson arrived in second and Purdue ended up in third place.
State’s next tournament is in Lafayette, La. from March 5-6 at the Louisiana Classics Invitational.
