Graduate student Paul Chang was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Golfer of the Month, according to an April 29 announcement from the league office. This is Chang’s first time receiving this honor, and he becomes the second University of Virginia golfer to win the award during this season.
Chang made history as the first UVA golfer to secure medalist honors in back-to-back tournaments. He won the individual title at the Calusa Cup from April 5-7 and followed with a co-medalist performance at the Lewis Chitengwa Tournament on April 13-14. During his final home event, Chang set a new tournament record by finishing with a score of 16-under par, totaling 197 over two days and three rounds.
In addition to his tournament wins, Chang posted his ninth top-20 finish in ten starts during stroke play at the ACC Championship and went undefeated in match play. Serving as UVA’s anchor against Stanford in the match play final, he clinched UVA’s second consecutive ACC Championship by halving hole sixteen with a par and defeating Stanford’s Dean Greyserman, three-and-two. The decisive match was tied after ten holes before Chang won four straight holes starting on eleven, highlighted by an eagle on hole thirteen.
Virginia secured two out of six men’s golfer of the month awards issued this season; Ben James received recognition as ACC Golfer of the Month in September.
The Cavaliers earned an automatic bid to compete in the upcoming NCAA Championship after defeating Stanford three-to-one in Monday’s ACC match play final. The field for that tournament will be announced Wednesday, May 6 at 2 p.m. on Golf Channel.
