Courtesy UVA Media Relations

No. 2 Virginia won its first Lewis Chitengwa Memorial Tournament since 2022, and Paul Chang shared medalist honors with William Sides of SMU on Tuesday at Birdwood Golf Course.

The Cavaliers ran away with the team title after shooting 17-under, 267 on the final day. The Cavaliers were 13-strokes ahead of second place and two-time defending LCM tournament champions, Florida State. The team win was Virginia’s fifth of the season.

The individual title went down to the 54th hole of the final pairing. Sides sunk a 12-foot birdie putt on 17 to move into a tie with Chang a 17-under. On the par four, 18th hole, Chang hit the green in two shots and two-putted for par. Sides’ approach shot fell short of the green and he converted the up and down with a successful five-foot par putt to share the medalist honors.

Playing in his final home event of his Cavalier career, Chang shot a final-round 65 to match his career-low established last week in the second round of his win at the Calusa Cup in Naples, Fla. He and Sides established a 54-hole, LCM tournament record with a 16-under, 197 that eclipsed Florida State’s Luke Clanton’s winning score of 198 two years ago.

If you want even more award-winning coverage on the UVA athletics department, including its nationally-ranked football and basketball programs, be sure to subscribe to “Cavalier Exclusive” to follow all of Virginia Sports Hall Of Famer Jerry “Hootie” Ratcliffe’s analysis and content. It’s the best in the business for Wahoo Fans!

Senior Ben James was tied for fourth in his final collegiate competition at Birdwood. He posted a final-round 69 (-2). He has finished in the top five of all eight tournaments he’s competed in this season. James adds to his program-record with his 33rd top-10 finish of his career.

Bryan Lee surged up the leaderboard on Tuesday thanks to his second consecutive 66. His third round started with a 3-under 32 on the front nine and he added three more birdies on the back against only one bogey. Lee was 8-under for the tournament and finished in a tie for sixth place. With his 18th career top-10 finish, he passed the tournament’s namesake, Lewis Chitengwa (1995-98), for seventh place on UVA’s all-time list.

Michael Lee also made a charge on the final day, elevating 23 spots with a 4-under 67. He moved into a tie for 25th place thanks to a final round that included six birdies.

UVA’s top individual was Maxi Puregger, who tied for 18th and shot an even-par 71 in the third round.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Virginia’s total score (-39, 813) and final round total (-17, 267) were the lowest its ever produced in five years of its home event.
• UVA had 72 birdies in the two-day event, led by Chang who had 21, the most of any player in the field.

UP NEXT

The Cavaliers will begin preparations for the ACC Championships being played at Shark’s Tooth Golf Club in Panama City, Fla. on April 23-27.

LEADERBOARD

VIRGINIA

If you want even more award-winning coverage on the UVA athletics department, including its nationally-ranked football and basketball programs, be sure to subscribe to “Cavalier Exclusive” to follow all of Virginia Sports Hall Of Famer Jerry “Hootie” Ratcliffe’s analysis and content. It’s the best in the business for Wahoo Fans!