The Williams Cup is back at Eagle Point Golf Club, and this year’s field gives North Carolina plenty of heavy lifting right from the start.
The sixth annual event, presented by STITCH Golf, begins Sunday in Wilmington with seven top-25 teams in the mix, including No. 2 Auburn and No.
10 Florida. The Gators arrive as the defending champions after posting 15 under par a year ago and beating Texas by 12 strokes.
UNC, which tied for third with Louisville last season, was the tournament’s dominant program early on, winning the title in each of the event’s first four editions.
This year’s field also features Augusta, No. 23 Arizona State, Kentucky, Louisville, UNLV, NC State, North Florida, No.
11 Notre Dame, No. 18 Oklahoma, Utah and No.
13 Vanderbilt. Carolina is ranked 16th.
The tournament carries the name of Roy Williams and Wanda Williams, honoring their support of collegiate athletics, including the men’s golf program.
UNC will go with Carson Bertagnole, Niall Sheils Donegan, Grant Roscich, Coltrane Mittag and Ethan Paschal. Sheils Donegan made a strong first impression in last year’s Williams Cup, finishing fifth after an opening-round 68 and a 4-under-par 212. Bertagnole came in 17th, while Roscich finished 22nd.
Paschal enters in form after finishing third earlier this week at the Elon Phoenix Invitational. He closed with back-to-back 63s over the final 36 holes and finished at a career-low 14-under 199.
Misha Golod, Preston Hage, Asher Vargas and Mack Edwards are entered as individuals for Carolina.
Notre Dame’s Nate Stevens claimed medalist honors in 2025 with rounds of 70-67-72 for a 7-under-par 209. Carolina’s David Ford won the individual crown in both 2023 and 2024, making him the only multiple champion through the tournament’s first five years.
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